Overview

Hello world! My name is Derrick Julian and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Reno, NV.

I’ve been making music and performing my whole life. From piano recitals as a kid, to bedroom guitar sessions as a teenager and eventually on to local venues across the country as I traveled out west from my home town in Indiana.

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 Carter Sanders  in Boston, MA. Carter is a seasoned 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 “It Ain’t Enough,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "It Ain’t Enough” 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. Carter 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!

Music has this incredible ability to heal and unite people, to express feelings that help us feel connected in fundamental human ways. For the first time in my life, I’m getting a real opportunity to share my life’s work with the world.  

Music has always felt more like a calling than a hobby. A driving force in every decision I make and every path I’ve chosen in life. It’s always been a collective process though. With incredible musician friends that have pushed me to be better, highschool buddies that were there for my earliest performances, my family giving me a wide perspective on different types of music and my amazing wife, always listening to the weird mistakes I make when I'm working out a new vocal or guitar part. Music is about community and connection, and I've shared musical experiences with so many people in my life.  One of my hopes is that this project helps open new doors and opportunities that will pave the way for the rest of my musical career and if at the very least, be a major life accomplishment I can look back on and be proud of.  

I have spent years trying my best to self-produce in home studios just to have it either fall short or lost altogether due to life simply getting in the way. However, with the help of you, my community and Plaid Dog Studios, my visions are becoming reality. The full body of art I’ve always dreamt of sharing with the world is finally coming to life the way it was always meant to be heard.

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.