Amanda Palmer is calling on fans to help her release her first new studio album in four years.The release is in conjunction with her new band, The Grand Theft Orchestra, featuring Michael McQuilken, Chad Raines and Jherek Bischoff.
The album, recently recorded in Melbourne with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Murder By Death, Modest Mouse, Xiu Xiu), will also include a visual art exhibit featuring 30 visual artists who have created work inspired by the album.
And true to form, the undisputed queen of fan engagement is turning to her fans for help, launching a new Kickstarter campaign that will enable her to execute the ambitious global release at levels rarely seen by independent artists.
"I've been waiting what seems like ages to release this album, trying to figure out how to serve it best, since i think it's the best material I've ever written. I had to find the right business team, the right musicians, the right producer, and most importantly, the right system through which to release it. I've been experimenting with self-releasing little projects for a while, learning as I go, and my team knows enough now to self-release a massive record."
Palmer is planning a 2-year global release of creative output that will feature a multitude of videos and remixes, 18 months of global touring, and pop-up art exhibition featuring 30 visual artists that will touch down in 6 cities in the U.S. and Europe this summer. To finance all the work that is to be done, Palmer will once again rely on Kickstarter, with a "macro-lending" add-on she's calling Loanspark that will allow for larger contributions that surpass Kickstarter's $10,000 maximum limit. The backer-incentives on Kickstarter range from $1 (a digital download of the album) to $10,000 (a live portrait sitting, painted by Amanda herself, including wine and dinner).
(Palmer's last Kickstarter campaign, which funded the recording of a sold-out tour with author and husband Neil Gaiman, raised $133,000).
