Overview

Hello world! My name is Aaron Baldes, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Riverton, Wyoming.

Music has been my passion since I was young. I’ve played the guitar, piano, and have written and sang many songs across a few different bands over the years. Recently, my life changed in some pretty significant ways and I was left to question my will to live. With the help of some amazing family and friends I made it through it all with a better sense of self and purpose. This album is my truth, and I’m ready to share it with you.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Mike Davidson in Boston, MA. Mike is a Boston-based producer and engineer with 15+ years of experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Mike and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Let The Hurt Come,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Let The Hurt Come" on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

There’s something amazing about music’s ability to heal and bring folks together. I know that this music that we’re working on is the truth. I can’t say for sure what it’s gonna mean to anyone, but I can say that these songs even exist is a testament to the power of music to bring hope and purpose to one’s life. After having what I perceived to be my deepest secrets out in the open and some of my deepest insecurities fulfilled, I don’t feel the same fear that I used to when I think of exposing this level of myself to anyone, let alone to people on the internet...

This isn’t the first musical project I’ve been a part of, but this is the first project where there is nothing but the melodic truth over the simple chords that color our perception. With your support, I plan to take a step forward into this crazy world we share and take these songs, our songs, and share them with the world. 

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.