Hey followers. Could I have a minute of your attention? Is that possible? Okay.
I’m sure you like music. Everyone likes music. It’s one of those things that ties us together in this big, crazy world. There are millions of bands in this world, and a lot of them get into it for all the wrong reasons—popularity, and fame, and money. But the majority of bands on this planet aren’t rolling around on money beds. The majority of unsigned bands are putting in their own cash to cover the production cost of an album or an EP. And the production costs are plentiful: paying a producer, engineers, studio time, equipment. The list goes on and on.
You’ll see this post has a song attached. The song is by one of my favorite bands, Ocean Grove. They’re an LA-based band of four guys just making solid pop/rock tunes. You can give the song a whirl, it’s one of my favorites. Their music is just as catchy and infectious as anything you’d hear on the radio these days, but it brings with it a lyrical depth and solid musicianship. These aren’t just dudes who picked up a guitar last month and now think they deserve rock god status. They’ve been playing professionally for years, they know their instruments inside and out, and they’ve really earned their stripes.
That’s just one aspect that separates them from the aforementioned ‘million other bands.’ The second, and in my opinion, the most important? These are some of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. They’re humble, they’re gracious, they really love and appreciate their fans—they hang out with fans after every single show. I really believe good things should come to good people, and these guys are good people.
With 2 EPs under their belts, the guys are itching to get into the studio and record their first full-length album. But as mentioned before, the costs of making an album are plenty. This is where you, hopefully, can come in. Ocean Grove has set up a Kickstarter project to raise $35,000 by January 4th, 2012 to make their debut album.
I know it seems crazy, to donate to a band you might not have even heard of before you started reading this. And the total, for most of us, might seem daunting. But the cliche is true: every little bit counts. And the rewards are pretty great, too. A $10 donation will get you the album a week before it comes out—it’s pretty much a preorder, but a preorder that guarantees the album gets made. But anything you give is so appreciated. This isn’t like a lot of other Kickstarters where you can’t be sure that the final project will be all that great. Ocean Grove has already proven they can make great music, and it’s practically a guarantee that with the money they raise, they’ll be able to make an amazing debut.
Their Kickstarter page is here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1690156016/ocean-grove-debut-album. You can watch the video on the page for a little more info.
But if you’re still hoping to hear or learn a little more, you can check out their official website, preview (or buy!) their EPs on iTunes, check them out on YouTube, or, the best convincer of all, check them out live—they’re right smack dab in the middle of a U.S. tour, and they might be coming to a city near you. And of course, if you like what you hear, you can always follow them on Twitter or ‘like’ them on Facebook. And say I sent you. … Just kidding.
As of this post, they’re almost a fourth of the way to their goal, but there’s still a long way to go. Again, every little bit helps. Thanks!
