This is going to get loud...
New music alert!
Hello!
I’m very excited to tell you:
THE NEW SWARM OF EYES EP IS LIVE ON KICKSTARTER!
You can grab ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH as a digital download or on CD (‘member those?!).
There’s a digital deluxe option that gets you seven remastered songs from our vault. These include covers, custom songs we’ve created for people and businesses, and more.
Need more black t-shirts in your life? Trick question…of course you do. We have two new designs, including an exclusive shirt available only through the campaign.
Finally, our back catalog is available in the add-on section, too.
And for the next three days, you can take advantage of our early backer bonus: Grab the CD and both shirts and save $15!
I’m THRILLED the day is finally here to share this EP with you. I’m incredibly proud of it and everyone’s performance.
For a taste of the new music, head over to the page and click the video for clips from the songs.
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ON MY MIND
Even though I’ve launched a dozen Kickstarters for comics, putting the one together crystallized so many things for me:
Talking directly to people is the way.
Betting on yourself is the way.
The old systems are broken…B-R-O-K-E-N…broken!
When I first thought about running a campaign for the new EP, it felt off.
For decades, the steps were: make the album, book a show, and throw a release party.
It was great! It was fun! It was exciting! And frankly, it was financially sound.
But now, ooof, that is gone.
With the rise of streaming, the CD release has been reduced to a post on social media with a Spotify link.
And look, beyond that being SUPER anticlimactic…even THAT system is broken.
(I can feel all my creative friends angrily nodding along.)
Swarm of Eyes has a couple of thousand followers on Facebook. These are people who opted in and said they want to hear from us.
If we’re lucky, our posts will reach a couple of hundred of them because of the algorithm.
The fucking algorithm.
Oh, and heaven forbid if you put a link into your post! Your post will be pushed even further down.
So yeah, it’s rough out there for your favorite creators.
So after working hard on a thing, doing your best, supporting your bandmates so they can shine, you’re left with making a post on a platform that doesn’t support true engagement, and watching your hard work fall into the black void.
That! Sucks!
Which is why we decided to go with Kickstarter.
For the next 25 days, we get to celebrate this EP and all the effort that went into getting here.
We get to connect WITH YOU!
When you support us, we SEE it.
When you get your music and shirts, we’re the ones sending it to you!
In a landscape that seems determined to keep fans and artists apart, running a campaign literally brings us all together.
Also, Swarm of Eyes has been incredibly fortunate to be doing this for almost 15 years!
In that time, we’ve made friends, connections, and fans all over the country and across the globe. That is AMAZING!
We get to use this campaign as a destination where we can all come together and celebrate.
I realized a LONG time ago that while I enjoy making things, I also need to share them. I don’t make things and then keep them in a drawer or a folder.
Basically, I’m still an 8-year-old running around shouting, “Look at what I made!”
And when you make stuff with the hope that it can connect people, it’s REAL easy to look at the landscape and think, “What’s the point?!”
Or, you can muster up the energy and naïve confidence to say, “Well…let’s do it anyway and see what happens.”
So here we are—on day one of a new, loud journey.
I have no idea what’ll happen…
But I know I’m proud of the EP.
I know I’m proud of what the band created.
I know each member deserves to have their hard work and talent heard by as many people as possible.
I know I’m incredibly thankful that you’re here, reading this newsletter, and are interested in what I’ve got going on.
Let’s keep supporting each other, making art, and raging against the dying light. What else can we do?
So here we go…once more unto the breach.
#####
HENRY
You can hear Henry, can’t you? “Yes, you could work. Or you could…now hear me out…pet me.”
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COOL THINGS TO SUPPORT
Staying on theme for today—You have the chance to make a very real impact on these projects today…
White Ash 1 to 10 (and a half)
The long-running, hit fantasy series about Elves and Dwarves in Pennsylvania returns with two ALL-NEW ISSUES!
Creator Charlie Stickney is a gold standard in the crowdfunding universe, and he’s back with his hit series, White Ash.
From the campaign:
Welcome to White Ash, a small smudge of a mining community in Western Pennsylvania, where the secrets are buried even deeper than the coal under the mountain. If you’re a fan of Supernatural, Twin Peaks, or Lord of the Rings, you’re going to love getting to know our mysterious town.
Charlie has a history of bringing together outstanding artists and running tremendous campaigns. He’s done an amazing job building a community, and this is your chance to jump in and grab a TON of story.
Summit: Pinnacle #1 - A heroic new universe begins
The foundation of the Summit Universe begins now!
This is the type of big swing I get excited about!
Summit: Pinnacle is the first comic in a brand-new shared superhero universe from Summit Comics—a collective of proven indie creators joining forces to build something connected, exciting, and truly creator-owned. And it comes in at over 120 pages!
If you love superheroes and are looking for something new and fresh, this is it!
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UNTIL NEXT TIME
If you want to make a thing—Make it! Please!
If you're a fan of a thing or an artist—Be loud and proud!
If you can be a ray of light—Please shine!
All the best! Make the thing!
And if you need some metal in your life:
Go get 'em!