I hear there will be a big party going down this Saturday at The Living Room when Shanna Zell releases her latest music - an EP called Coming Undone. I might just have to get on a plane and stop by. In the meantime, here's the scoop on making it, funding it, and what to expect at the bash.
Photo by Emily Rawlings
Indie Sounds: You have a new EP about to be released - Coming Undone - so what's the background to it?
Shanna Zell: Coming Undone is the uncovering of the core of one’s self. And that’s exactly what happened when I went into the studio. My only requirement for this EP was that the sound be organic. As each tune was perfected, I realized that the soul of my music was actually quite unashamed pop-rock a la Sara Bareilles or KT Tunstall, with a hint of Nina Simone’s sultriness. This could not have been accomplished without my talented collaborators. Coming Undone is quite a departure from the moodiness of my first album Hurricane Season and I am so proud of the upbeat, accessible final product.
IS: Tell us about making it?
Shanna: After working with Jeff Berner at GaluminumFoil studios in March 2010 for The Ramblers’ record Getting There, I knew Jeff had the organic approach my songs needed. He reached out about recording a few of my tracks and the rest is history.
I brought in long time friends and band members Matt Wigton and Scott Stein to play bass and keys respectively, Jeff (wisely) recommended bringing in Adam Christgau to lay down drums and percussion, Jeff himself stepped up to play much of the rhythm and lead guitars. Fellow Rambler and musical compadre, Jeremiah Birnbaum, came in to lay down some great lead guitar tracks and harmonies on Who Will Turn Your World Around. The energy at each session was positive, excited, and led to a fantastic final outcome.
Download Coming Undone @ DigStation.
IS: This was a PledgeMusic project. Can you explain what that was about?
Shanna: As I started planning the EP, I recognized I would not be able to finance the entire project on my own. Enter: PledgeMusic. This fan-funding program established by good friend Benji Rogers in 2009 allows fans to finance their favorite artist’s upcoming musical endeavors. In essence, fans pledge a certain dollar amount toward a musician’s project in exchange for valuable incentives. For example, the $10 pledge merited a digital download of the EP immediately upon completion. At $75 you became an Executive Producer of my album, at $300 I’d write you an original song and much more.
I set a financial goal at the beginning of the campaign and unless it was reached, no one would be charged and I wouldn’t reap the benefits. Moreover, 15% of anything donated after I met my goal would be given to The SAMFund, a charity of my choice that assists young adult survivors of cancer with a successful transition into post-treatment life. There were so many reasons to participate in the exciting campaign including exclusive video updates from our studio sessions and receiving an advance downloadable copy of the album, and in the end, my fans gave me the gift of being able to complete my EP.
IS: What advice would you give to others using PledgeMusic, or other crowd-funding sites, to deliver a successful project?
Shanna: Your fans are everything. My friends, my family, people I’ve met at gigs and developed relationships with over the years all stepped up to the plate to help me reach my PledgeMusic goal. Anyone approaching a crowd-funded campaign should be sure to value the people around them who have been coming to live shows, reposting your messages on Facebook or Twitter, sharing tunes, giving words of encouragement. Share recordings of your live performances with as many potential fans as possible, use your social networking skills and highlight the incentives you’re using in the campaign to make this a truly crowd/fan-funded experience. In a nutshell, your fans are your friends ... make it special for them!
IS: You have a release gig coming up. What's the scoop?
Shanna: Yes, Shanna and the Zellots will be making our Living Room debut this Saturday, January 29th at 8pm to celebrate the release of Coming Undone. We are thrilled for this full band show (featuring Jeff Berner, Matt Wigton, Scott Stein, Jeremiah Birnbaum, Chris Benelli, Jamie Rae and myself) at one of our favorite NYC venues, and excited to be followed by our good friends The Ramblers at 9 pm. Physical copies of Coming Undone, t-shirts and posters will be available at the show. We’ll be playing all five tracks off the EP, a handful of old tunes from Hurricane Season, some new-ish songs and debuting a brand new tune!
IS: And what else is about to be new and wonderful with Shanna Zell in 2011?
Shanna: 2011 promises many a great thing. I’m working on a revamped website, planning a west coast tour and maybe even getting back in the studio to lay down another track or two. My goal is to expand upon the east coast venues I’ve played at over the years and keep the NYC gigs going strong in the coming months.
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