Overview

Hello world! My name is Luke October, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Alexandria, VA.

I realized my love for performing and music way back in elementary school. Someone dropped out of the winter choir concert and I stepped in to sing their solo last minute. I had never felt anything like the feeling of singing onstage like that and seeing smiles on the faces of the audience. Throughout the rest of my school career, I played in bands and musicals, but I found myself wanting to write my own songs. I made a few little demos with a college friend, and released them to the world on MySpace! I met some of my musical inspirations on that platform and felt very encouraged to create more music, but also VERY overwhelmed by everything that encompasses. Life happened, as it does, and music fell off my radar for a long while.

A few years ago, I had just gotten out of a long relationship and moved across the country for a new job. Things were bittersweet, but looking up…until the pandemic hit. I lost that job and ended up spending each day in my apartment alone, full of fear and sadness. During that time, I put an end to the long hiatus I took from writing music, and that helped save me from those ambiguous and uncertain moments. However, the world continues to feel ambiguous and uncertain to this day! Music has been somewhat of a shelter and release for me, and I want to spread that to everyone! But first, I need your help.

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 EP

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded EP 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 “In the Walls, In the Ground,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "In the Walls, In the Ground" on my own, to create an EP 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 EP. 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 EP. 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 EP 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 the world to me. I've always dreamt of pursuing music professionally, but I haven't had the knowledge or resources to make it happen. Your support will help me get both feet in the door of the professional world of music, and bring me one step closer to feeling like I did back in elementary school on that stage. I want to spread joy and healing to all, and this is just the beginning of that path.

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.