Kevin Devine fans invest in what they believe in- quite generously.
By Emily Meenan
On New Year’s Eve, self proclaimed ”free agent” Kevin Devine made a decision to begin his seventh and eighth studio albums with the help of his fans and Kickstarter. As most people know by now, Kickstarter is an extremely popular funding platform for creative projects like art installations, recording, touring and everything in between. Devine’s most recent album, Between the Concrete and Clouds, was done with a label. He has described it as his most “unsatisfying” experience with the music industry. Devine was careful to explain that it wasn’t a less than perfect experience due to faults in the music industry, but that he and the industry just “weren’t a good match.”
Devine’s yearning for a pure and close relationship with his fans leads us to Tuesday, January 14th- the launch day of his Kickstarter. It was a simple, well explained project with a big, exciting goal. Devine was going to record two LPs, one solo (produced by Rob Schnaph) and another with his band, the Goddamn Band (produced by Jesse Lacey of Brand New.) Not only did he want to record and self release these albums by Fall 2013, he also planned on touring into 2014 in as many places as he could.
Devine’s goal was set at fifty thousand dollars, a large but obtainable number, and his deadline was the end of February. Backers of the project had the lucky opportunity to get a “return” on their investment with perks from digital downloads, guest list privileges for life, the opportunity to record with Devine and private, in-home concerts.
Within minutes, fans were rushing to Devine’s kickstarter page and donating whatever they could afford. Friends of Devine’s that are also in the music industry were sharing the link with their fan bases, bringing in even more support. In just twelve hours, Devine had raised all fifty thousand dollars of his ultimate goal. He made several statements of gratitude and amazement: “You guys are incredible. Thanks for validating this risk and the tortuous decision-making process leading up to it – you’ve obliterated that fear with your faith.” He didn’t know exactly what to do with the remaining forty-three days of his campaign.
Yesterday, a day after the initial launch, Devine made an update to his Kickstarter page. He announced that it would remain open for backers until the end of February as he had originally planned. Whatever additional money is raised will be used to tour “full-strength and correctly” and to establish and fund whatever record label entity he plans to release his future musical endeavors with.
Devine’s huge appreciation for his fan’s belief in him and generosity has been made quite clear, and is sure to shine through onto everything that will come from this momentous undertaking.
