Overview

Hello world! My name is Kim Smith, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of New Bedford, MA.

I’ve always loved music, and I’ve played the violin since I was nine. I always knew I wanted music to be a part of my life, but it wasn’t until I was getting my master’s degree that I realized how big a part of my life I NEEDED music to be. I was burnt out from working and going to school, and I found that playing music was the best way to keep myself sane. Music creates magical space for play, recovery, and community. I joined my first band while getting my masters about seven years ago so I could make the most of my time on this planet, and enjoy connections with other musical people and music-appreciators.

I have been trying to make the time to record my own music for years. I set a goal for myself that I would record my first album before I was thirty, and since my thirtieth birthday came and went last July it definitely has to be NOW! I don’t want any more years to pass me by with no way to broadly share my music or give people the opportunity to listen to my tunes outside of shows. I need support to make this happen, if you love me and/or my music, help me get it out there to the world!

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 Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Ryan 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 “Futurama,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Futurama" 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. Ryan 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 be the bees knees, elbows, and toes! I would finally have a way to share my music with everyone, and get my foot in the door of the professional music world.

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.