Overview

Hello world! My name is Austin Barrett, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Asheville, North Carolina.

One of my first memories was bringing my guitar to first grade show and tell, but I didn’t just show it off, I actually played some chords! I started writing songs when I was 13, and went on tour at 18. I’ve released multiple albums, singles, and EPs with numerous projects, and even been a Semifinalist in the International Songwriting Competition twice.

I’ve been playing music my whole life, but it’s always been a struggle to find my footing. From band member disagreements to songwriting differences, it’s been a real musical journey across state lines and through heartbreak. I moved to Asheville in 2017 to try and start over, and was making some headway. By 2019, I was playing 2 or 3 gigs a week.

I was pretty devastated when covid shut everything down. It felt like all the progress I’d made had just been taken away from me yet again.

That’s when I met my wife.

She started asking me to play more songs and I just fell in love with music again.

Something about the way she asked me just made me want to do music for fun, maybe for the first time in my life. All of a sudden it wasn’t about becoming famous or earning that next achievement but I just wanted to make her proud of me.

Just before Christmas last year, my wife got pregnant. It’s a moment I’ll never forget and it changed me.

Thinking about what it means to be a father and what I’ll say to my son if he ever wants to play music one day really made me want to go for gold here. I was researching options for borrowing money when Plaid Dog reached out to me, it was like a sign from God that he was on my side and wanted me to go for this, too, if just one more time.

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 EP.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded EP with Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Ryan 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 “Porch Light,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Porch Light" on my own, to create an EP 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. Ryan and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the EP. 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 EP. 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 EP 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!

Every tier comes with at least a digital download and 1 randomly chosen sticker

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

The success of this campaign would be a total game changer for me. Once I can promote a professional product in a meaningful way, I'll be able to grow my audience and gain exposure to new listeners. I’ve never had an opportunity like this before, and I really plan to make it the best product possible for all my new fans and listeners.

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.