My dear friends and supporters,
I'm very excited to share with you that I will be beginning a new recording project next month called "Ballad of a Canadian Superhero" - a 5 song EP with the title track (and one very special cover) only being released as part of this collection.
You know, Canadian Superheroes and Singer/Songwriters have a lot in common.
Seriously.
Most Canadian Superheroes and Singer/Songwriters work independently. Superheros are not generally working for large Superhero corporations. There are no Superhero pensions. There is no Superhero job security. It helps them keep their edge. Or something like that.
Similarly, most singer/songwriters (like me) also work independently; booking their own shows, promoting their own projects and financing their own recordings. There's a lot of freedom in working independently and without the obligations or expectations of a record label. I can record how I want, play where I want and pick whichever projects I choose to pursue. However, with this freedom comes the responsibility to make these projects happen with little outside support. What can I say? I like a challenge.
Being a Canadian Superhero isn't what it used to be. The end of the Cold War has forced many Superheroes into early retirement. Think about the last time you saw a damsel in distress. Thanks to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms they are now a rare commodity. Full body scans at the airport have rendered X-Ray vision obsolete.
The same is true for Singer/Songwriters. The traditional model of a record label financing and managing an artists' career exists only for a few, while advances in technology have made recording more accessible to many, many more people.
(Of course, there are lots of differences as well. I'm nothing close to a Superhero. I'm terribly clumsy and near-sighted, look dreadful in spandex and the only super power I posess is being able to consistently cure hiccups)
So this is where you come in. I'm looking for help with the upfront costs of producing the new EP and I hope you will be interested in making this new project a reality.
But I'm not asking you to give something for nothing. That's not the Superhero or Songwriter way.
The following is a list of fun things you can expect with your donation:
$5 - digital download of the new EP "Ballad of a Canadian Superhero"
$15 - a digital download of the new EP + a signed physical copy of the new EP OR my first record "these are all my friends..." (shipping included)
$25 - digital download of the new EP + signed physical copies of BOTH the new EP and "these are all my friends..." (shipping included)
$50 - digital download of the new EP + signed physical copies of BOTH the new EP and "these are all my friends..." (shipping included) + a handwritten, signed lyric sheet (any Swanny song you choose)
$100 - digital download of the new EP + signed physical copies of BOTH the new EP and "these are all my friends..." (shipping included) + a handwritten, signed lyric sheet (any Swanny song you choose) + a THANK YOU (merci, danke, gracias, děkuji, Σας ευχαριστούμε, obrigado...Superheros are multilingual) in the liner notes
$500 - digital download of the new EP + signed physical copies of BOTH the new EP and "these are all my friends..." (shipping included) + a handwritten, signed lyric sheet (any Swanny song you choose) + a THANK YOU in the liner notes + a recording (MP3 or video for online) of me singing any song you'd like (original or cover)
$1000 - Everything previously listed + a private house concert for you and all of your closest friends (within an 6 hour drive of Toronto or along any of my Canadian tour routes) + I'll teach you how to get rid of your hiccups FOREVER!
You can contribute by clicking the "send money" arrow near the top of this page via PayPal or credit card. Or, if you prefer to send an old-school paper cheque in the mail, send me a note at bri-anne@bri-anneswan.com and I can give you the address.
I'm excited (VERY excited) to get back into the studio and give these new songs some wings and send them out into the world. There is nothing I enjoy more than writing songs and performing them for all the lovely people I've met across the country. I really appreciate all the support so many of you have given along the way.
Yours in love, peace, music and maple syrup (it's that time of year...)
Bri-anne
