Hello world! My name is Jesse Rodger and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Ohio.

I’m born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I cannot remember a point in life without music. From popping 8 track cassettes into my grandparents stereo as a wee boy, to the day that changed my life sitting with my dad listening to his records. When he put on Sgt. Pepper’s by the Beatles, everything changed. It was the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band reprise into A Day in the Life and then that final chord. From that moment I wanted to make music. 

I spent years playing in bands, never the frontman, playing guitar or bass and co-writing songs. I took time away when my kids were little to be a dad. A couple of years ago, now that my kids are older, I felt the pull to get back at it. This time on my own. I really found my voice and confidence attending a songwriting retreat hosted by Steve Poltz sitting under his learning tree and those of songwriters Mary Gauthier, Bob Schneider and Ryan Montbleau. Since that retreat I write prolifically, usually writing at least a song a week. I’m very excited about this project and where it will take me!

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 “Evelyn,” and you can check it out above!

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

This project brings my vision and voice to life and another level. Writing and playing these songs alone with just me and my guitar has been fulfilling, however nothing can compare to taking that and fully fleshing them out with full instrumentation and putting what I hear in my head to tape, we’ll binary code 😉. 

Community impact and interaction helps me know that I am doing the right thing!

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.