Overview

Hello world! My name is Allen Alvarado, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Burbank, California.

I’m currently the only official member of Forms of Euphoria - which means I write everything, play/sing everything - except for drums!

I sketch those out and hand ‘em off to people far more qualified. This is my Plaid Dog Crowdfunding Campaign for my debut studio album.

I started playing guitar as a six-year old, but since I had no discipline, I had fallen off by age eight.

It wasn’t until about 2008 that I rediscovered my interest, when I heard “Bat Country” by Avenged Sevenfold. That changed everything.

I started taking guitar lessons again, most notably with Steve Vai’s former guitar tech. And, even though I said I never wanted to go to college, I decided to follow in Avenged Sevenfold’s lead guitarist’s footsteps and attend Musicians Institute.

So far, I’ve put out two singles from this album, and doing it largely on my own is quite the undertaking. Quality music production takes a village, and the truth is, I can’t do it all on my own.

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 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 “Night Terrors,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Night Terrors" 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!

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

The success of this campaign would mean… not to quote Extreme here, but “More than words”. With the amount I’ve already written and been sitting on, the task of getting it “out there” feels insurmountable.

Being able to professionally produce and release this album, which is an embodiment of the first real catharses I’ve had, would be a real gift. And I’d have a real calling card, of sorts, to get my music out there to industry professionals.

Your support, your investment, would help me get there!

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.