Overview

Hello world! My name is Brendan Cleary, and I'm a singer-songwriter from the Lake District and live in London.

Music has played a huge part in my life since I was very young. Both my Mum and Dad were in the music business and my home was always filled with the sounds of the likes of The beatles, Eagles and The Red hot chili peppers to name a few. Music really is in my DNA and I always knew it wasn’t going to be just a job or career for me. It was going to be a way of life and it certainly has been that way for me. I wrote my first song at the age of 11 about my first crush and it’s fair to say that the song was pretty bad. But after years of exploring and writing, songwriting became my ally and my best friend. I look at life through the lens of a song and I think this is because words alone don’t allow me to articulate what I am feeling or seeing as well as songs do. After school I went and studied songwriting as a degree and paved my way into the industry as a songwriter, artist, performer and teacher. My experiences of failure and success have kept me driven and inspired, even in my lowest moments in my life. After years of touring, gigging and writing, I feel like I have arrived. Unlike prior songs, every word I sing is real, because I’ve felt it and lived it. I am hugely inspired by country artists like Ruston Kelly and other artists like John Mayer. Their influence has really shaped my sound and I hope with my unique twist, I have something quite different to share with the world. My EP is based on my experience with addiction and recovery. My hope is to share my experience with the world so that the truth can help others that need to hear it. The songs are raw and real and I feel like they had to be to portray the struggles I went through. After a year of happiness in recovery, I feel like now is the right time to get these songs recorded and released as I am an example of someone who was at rock bottom and found a way to be happy again.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step towards creating my best and most meaningful body of work to date!

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

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "The Afterline" 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. Carter 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 a full list to the right!

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

This project gives my story a platform and a voice. My mission here is to help as many people struggling with the demons in their own head. Through music and the truth, I believe I can share some light into how it’s possible to beat addiction.

My plan for this EP is to work further with charities like 'Mind' and 'Hummingbird' who I have been a huge advocate for over the past few years; and to spread the reach of this project. I am not looking for any financial gain from this project, all I hope for is that it helps spread awareness and gets heard from the people that need to hear it most, which is why mental health charities will play an important role.

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.