Overview

Hello world! My name is Ian Jake Robleza, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Aurora, Illinois.

I’ve always been surrounded by music as a kid. My family would sing in church, and we’re filipino, so there was a lot of karaoke. I started learning percussion in 5th grade, and I had played in bands with my friends throughout high school, yet that pivotal moment was just in my senior year of high school. There was this Mr. Handsome contest, kinda like a beauty pageant for guys to decide the homecoming king, and I initially didn’t want to do it- I was just helping my friends do it. Eventually they convinced me, so I wanted to do something funny…if you know the tight pants skit from SNL, yeah that one. So fast forward to the dress rehearsal…NOBODY LAUGHS. I wanted to back out but my teacher was like “no, stay it was funny!” but I didn’t believe her, so I said I would stay if I could change up my act. I had started writing songs around this time, and this particular one I was going to play, I felt was decent…like I finished it and I went, “hey, this isn’t completely garbage”. So I played it the next day, and people really seemed to like it. I got a standing ovation, and it was one of the few self actualizing moments people get where they figure out that maybe they can do this.

I’ve been hustling for about three years now in music, and when this opportunity came my way, I was asked if I had been working on new material. I was, and even though I was skeptical at first, I thought that maybe this could be something to look forward to. Expand my platform, reach a wider audience, and grow more as a recording artist. This song I chose to record, I had played it at one of my gigs, and people really seemed to like it. They asked me if it was already out, but I hadn’t recorded it yet, so in a way I wanna deliver it to those people.

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 “Liana,” and you can check it out below!

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

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 think this might be the start of something amazing…I’ve been working on music for a while now, but to do it in this way just feels so surreal. Essentially, it’s this new chapter in my songwriting journey, distinguishable from how it was at the start. I’m building and making something with a team now, and the quality of my content can only get better and better for you- and that’s what I want it to do.

I might have the chance to really reach people with my songs, a thought that just seemed too good to be true when I first started writing. The fact that I might reach the person reading this is really special to 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.