Really excited to announce that we've sent the CD order off to be manufactured - the digital masters and artwork are complete and so you'll all finally get to hear Departure this weekend!
Download codes will be coming to everyone who had that as part of their package and who has completed the survey, so watch your inbox tomorrow!
A few other quick things to know: - We will have the CDs and t-shirts in-hand the first week of August and will get those sent out to you (or available for pickup) ASAP. - The lead time on the vinyl is longer as we need to re-master for vinyl and they just take longer to make. We'll know more about timing soon.
Now this should go without saying, but with the great power of having MP3s in hand comes great responsibility. Specifically: We've worked really hard to ensure that the artists who we sampled (or sometimes the people who happen to own the rights to the music...which makes us feel a certain kind of way...but that's better kept to our mailing list) are fairly compensated for our use of their art. We've got contracts in various stages of completion but the upshot is that the artists/rights holders will get paid for every copy produced. That's only fair, so we'd please ask you not copy or share the album. We want this all to be on the up-and-up as much as possible!
Finally, just so you know just how good you all have it: Due to the requirements to please The Algorithm, the full album won't be available on streaming until much later in the year - so you really are going to be first on the block to have it to listen to for quite some time! Oh won't your friends be jealous! :)
We CAN'T WAIT to hear what you think of 'Departure'. It's been an absolute labour of love and we think you're going to love it as much as we do.
A couple quick updates and a special goody for our backers today!
1) The survey is with Backerkit for review. That means (fingers crossed) that backers will be formally receiving a short survey this week to collect info like shipping address and t-shirt sizes. This is a big milestone in our release schedule and making sure we get 'Departure' and the other great items to you as quickly as possible.
2) We're into the very final stages of production. Everything is being mastered, the artwork is coming together, the liner notes and thank yous are lined up, and we've got the printers standing by. It's so exciting to see it all come together!
Now, if you're a backer of the project then you'll also be able to access and download the very first single off the album which will formally release in the next week - Haul Away Joe. This features some awesome samples from the great Leadbelly's version of the same song and a new, bluesy melody composed by our very own James. We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Things are moving along nicely and you'll very shortly be receiving an email survey to collect your shipping details and other preferences, like t-shirt size and colour. We are working through a small technical issue with the Backerkit platform related to local pickup options, but as soon as that's sorted the survey will go out.
In the meantime, we wanted to share the four fantastic new colourways for the t-shirts. We had a lot of debate about which colours to go for, before ultimately deciding we should listen to Richard's wife because she has far more style than all of us combined.
So with that, here are the awesome combinations to choose from. From left to right: Beach Vibes (blue on sand), Classic (white on black), Hidden Treasure (gold on black) and Blackout (black on black)
And here's a sizing chart:
T-shirts will also be available as an add-on if you're finding your summer wardrobe needs a bit more awesomeness in it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! We exceeded our goal thanks to your incredible support. Here's what happens now and what to expect over the coming weeks.
1. THIS WEEK: We did a full album listening party together yesterday, agreed the tracks for Departure, the digital bonus download, and the tracks for the Sea Sides EP. They're all fantastic, of course, and we have some very small tweaks to a handful mixes that will be completed this week. We have some samples that need to be cleared and that will also happen starting this week. Finally, we'll be locking in the designs and colourways for the beloved t-shirts.
2. NEXT TWO WEEKS: A few tracks are being mastered already but the remainder will be shipped out. We're prioritizing digital mastering with the analogue (vinyl) as a fast follow simply because that will enable us to release a single and start promoting properly. We'll also be finalizing the artwork, liner notes, and thank yous. MOST IMPORTANTLY, you'll also receive a survey during this time to get all the important information from you like t-shirt size and colour, shipping address etc.
3. BACK END OF JUNE: We'll be off to printing and production! As soon as we have them in-hand, we'll start shipping. Our plan is to get everything packaged up and ready to go over the course of a weekend and do one large mail drop, which of course we'll be very excited about and let you all know about.
In the meantime, expect regular updates from us right here - and if you have any questions, simply pop us a note to [email protected]
This is our first ever crowdfund and you've made it a success and a pleasure, so one last time for the kids in the cheap seats: THANK YOU!!!
Just a very quick update today. Our campaign closes at the end of the week and THANK YOU again to everyone who's supported us.
We have just sent the first three tracks off to be mastered and will be sharing a sneak peek with all of our backers as soon as we get the first track back.
We are well on track to have the album fully mastered by mid-June at which point we'll pop everything off to be printed. We anticipate being able to share digital download codes and ship the CDs in July, with the LPs as a fast-follow (they just take longer to manufacture).
Only 6 days to go - please help us continue to spread the word!
Thank you all so much for your incredible support. We have the first three singles from the album being mastered now and will share them with you as soon as we can.
Stay tuned for more updates as we finalize the album! We will also be reaching out to everyone to confirm shipping details, t-shirt sizes etc. once the campaign closes.
Sad news this past week as the world’s last living REAL shantyman, George “Tall 12” Frederick, passed away at the age of 79.
Tall 12 was the real deal: A whaling gunman who would set out every morning from the town of Barrouallie in St. Vincent in a 6-person row boat with a harpoon gun mounted at the bow to hunt pilot whale. St. Vincent remains one of only two places in the world with an exemption to the International Whaling Convention and the people of Barrouallie still hunt and eat whale to this day - the continuation of a necessity of survival in what was historically a town accessible only by sea.
Our conversations with Tall 12 and the time we spent in studio with him was a huge influence on 'Departure' and opened our eyes to some of the core, vital aspects of shanties.
We had the unbelievable pleasure of meeting, listening to, and singing with Tall 12 in October of 2022. We travelled to Barrouallie and spent a week filming a documentary and album with him - both of which we will release after Departure is complete.
He was an absolute live wire - full of jokes (or “antics” as he called them), stories, and of course incredible songs. In fact, James learned our version of Seven Long Years from the big man himself.
Tall 12 was also the very tail end of a long tradition of Vincentian shanties.
We spoke with his friend Vincent Reid, filmmaker and producer Akley Olton, and musicologist and shantyman Dan Lanier - all of whom knew Tall 12 for years - about his life and legacy and you can check out that whole interview here. We’ll also get an audio version posted on all podcast platforms this week.
So pour yourself a nice glass of rum and settle in for some stories and songs in memory of a true shanty legend.
