"Take Amanda Palmer covering Radiohead and then take Phoebe Legere and drain out the jazz and replace it with Jenny Lewis circa The Execution Of All Things and then throw on some fishnet stockings and you have Sweet Soubrette...this time she has a full band and the songs have texture and beauty." - Rock NYC ...Wow! We agree.

Ukulele-powered indie rock band Sweet Soubrette is one of the coolest musical groups we've had on RocketHub. They recently released a cool new album and have now engaged their fans to crowdfund a new tour. We spoke to their fearless leader, Ellia Bisker, about the journey:

What was the inspiration behind the music project you are currently running on RocketHub?  Why is it important to you and your band?

The background to this project is that in early January we released the second Sweet Soubrette record, Days and Nights, which was two years in the making, and we needed a project to focus on following our big release show. We had worked really hard on that—rehearsing a huge backing band, making sure the vinyl shipment was going to arrive in time, promoting the release to the media, getting people to come out and pack the venue, which they did. The support of our fans and friends was amazing.

But once the show was done and the album was officially launched, we needed a next thing to focus on to keep the momentum going. Not just for the sake of morale (though I’ll admit, after the big show was over and life went back to normal—the letdown!) but because when you’re an independent musician, an album release isn’t a single event, it’s a process, and you need a new reason all the time to keep reminding the world that your music is out there. Otherwise you get absorbed into the background noise. So this tour was both the answer to “what next?” and a pretext for reaching out to our fans in a new way after the official release.

We play a lot in NYC, but we’ve never toured as a band before now. To play in other places in full rock band formation is a big step for Sweet Soubrette—we’ll be playing our songs for the fans in these towns the way they’re intended to sound, and we’ll be playing for a lot of strangers. The challenge is to turn those strangers into fans. It’s exciting. We are really proud of this record--it sounds amazing, and we’ve gotten a tremendous response from the first wave of listeners. So we’re ready to do whatever it takes to introduce it to a wider audience.

The other challenge is funding the tour, because it’s expensive to drive around in a rental van for a solid week and feed the musicians and then play for $5 door splits or uncertain hat passes because you aren’t an established headliner yet. It’s an investment in the future, but you get a chicken and egg problem financially. That’s why crowdfunding seemed like a great way to let the people who are excited about the music now help us get it to the next level.

Here's to a great tour and a slew of awesome shows. How has your experience been as a crowdfunding pioneer in the world of music - how are your supporters responding?

After a week and a half, we’ve raised more than half of our goal amount. So the response has been good so far. Some of the support was what I would have hoped and expected—the people I’m closest to personally have definitely come through. But there have also been some wonderful surprises—a work friend who gave more than I would have anticipated, a fan all the way in Australia who gave $120, a mystery fan who gave $250 anonymously (though I expect to find out that person’s identity eventually, since the reward for $250 is a house show…). 

On top of the financial support, there have been some interesting ancillary benefits—a performance opportunity I wouldn't have had otherwise, some unexpected press, an opportunity to connect with old friends and fans. This crowdfunding campaign has also given me some serious artistic encouragement—it’s been incredibly motivating and affirming to see people get excited about being involved in this project.

I’ve done a little educating, too. After a friend responded to my request for support by saying, “I'm planning my own tour and making my next recording, so I can't spare any cash, but I'm rooting for you!” I pointed out that if he also did a crowdfunding campaign, I’d reciprocate, which would likely generate additional support (beyond whatever amount we gave back and forth) through added visibility. Plus I think it’s a great to remind yourself that it feels good to support other people’s projects when you believe in their work. He gave $20.

Great community perspective. Any advice for musicians looking to crowdfund a similar project?

It’s good if you’ve laid the groundwork by already being in the habit of reaching out to your fans/friends to update them about your project, so that it doesn’t seem out of the blue when you contact them for funding--you’ve already built a relationship. Come up with reasons to remind people repeatedly about your campaign--a new video, a show announcement, updates about the project itself. Not everyone opens every e-mail, or pays much attention to what they read. Who knows, maybe the third time’s the charm!

Be persistent about reaching out to people individually, not just in mass announcements. It can be tedious, but tends to be more effective. Plus it gives you a chance to get back in contact with people you may not have spoken to in a while, which is an investment in the relationship, even if not a contribution—and maybe you’ll just reconnect now, but then they’ll support your next project.     

It can be hard to ask for things without feeling like you’re begging, or imposing on people, so I think it's helpful to remind yourself that you’re not asking for a handout—you’re offering people a chance to get involved in a cool project, not to mention whatever exciting rewards you’ve come up with. In other words, there’s something in it for them too. 

Reach out to absolutely everyone, because it’s hard to predict who will catch fire about what you’re doing, and people will surprise you.

Thank you Ellia for the honest insights. Good luck with the rest of your campaign and with the tour. Check out Sweet Soubrette here.

-Vlad