Cancelling Kickstarter

I launched a Kickstarter to fund my sixth album on August 20. I cancelled it 13 days later.

Why did you cancel the campaign?

From what I could tell, there was no way the campaign was going to reach its goal. And while I could leave it there to see what happened, it’s depressing to watch it slowly die over a number of weeks. My fragile mind couldn’t take it.

I’ve launched three previous Kickstarter campaigns—all of which reached their funding goal—but something about this one felt off.

What went wrong?

It’s hard to say. I’ve never been super successful, and I’m definitely not hot stuff in the music scene right now. I’ve not released anything for four years! So I’m not sure whether enough people want to hear new music from me.

Added to that, people are less and less inclined to spend money on music. In 2019, most people spend a maximum of £10 a month on new music—and that’s just for their Spotify subscription. Asking people for a lot more than that, for music they can’t hear yet, is a tall order. Maybe people are sick of Kickstarter. Maybe they’re sick of me.

Will you still make the album?

I want to but I’m not sure how… yet. I’ve cancelled all the rehearsals and studio time I had booked, so right now the record’s definitely not happening. I’m exhausted from working on Noser. It’s probably good to take a break.

My rough plan is to keep working on the songs, then get some rehearsals booked in with Scott and Stephen. If everything sounds good, I’ll think about recording again. Maybe I’ll launch a Kickstarter with a lower goal. Or find another way to raise the cash.

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Thanks to everyone who backed the campaign. I appreciate it!