Hello world! My name is Ellie James, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Santa Rosa, CA.

I’ve been making music my entire life, from singing gibberish into a tiny plastic tape recorder to performing on major stages internationally. I had such an incredible time working on my debut EP, “Afterparty,” and now I’m hungry for more! I hope you’ll come along on this journey with me. I can’t tell you how many late nights and re-writes have gone into creating this new project, and I couldn’t be more excited to finish it and give it to you with all of my love. 

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 Bryan Fennelly in Boston, MA.

Bryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Bryan and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

While I haven’t made it to Boston yet due to the current health crisis, I will––and I know this album will be worth the wait! In the meantime, we’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing a demo of one song remotely, with the assistance of some pretty amazing technology.

This first song is called “Better,” and you can check it out below!

This demo will give you a good feel for what this album will be like if this campaign reaches its goal. If we’re successful, I’ll be able to get back in the studio with Bryan to record the rest of the album, and create a fully produced version of this first single, “Better.” I’m so excited  for this project to come together –– but of course, before I can make that happen, I need your help!

While I’ve been able to fund this initial recording process for "Better" on my own, to create an album of songs of studio quality and with full production, 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. Bryan 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.

Music has always been at the forefront of my life, whether I was 2 years old and pressing my hands and face against a speaker to feel it through vibrations or creating my own music to play for a backyard crowd of loved ones. I will never be able to express my immense gratitude enough. I’ve been so lucky to be supported by the people in my community, and I wouldn’t be close to where I am without them. From the high school classmates that cheered and supported me, to the friends I met in college who always pushed me to improve and think outside of the box. From the drama and choir teachers that gave me the chance to discover my passion, to my college professors and mentors that helped me believe that I was worthy and that I could DO this. From the strangers at shows who tell me their stories and relate to my music, to my best friends in the world that show up to cheer for sets they’ve heard a hundred times and play my songs in the car. From my incredible, beautiful family that has always lifted me up and invested in my dreams, to my amazing, wonderful parents who have put up with listening to every flubbed take and frustrated sigh and wrong note and still met every song I write with love and support.

This new EP is a culmination of everything I’ve learned so far and a love letter to everything I have yet to learn. I can’t wait to explore this new phase in my journey as an artist, and I’m so excited to be able to share this project with you. It’s full of uncertainty and confidence, vulnerable moments and triumphs, and most importantly, it’s full of heart. I hope you love these songs as much as I do. Thank you so much for taking this ride with me!

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.