Overview

Hello world! My name is Nathan, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Topeka, Kansas.

I’ve been making music and performing around Topeka my whole life, from piano recitals to Helen Hocker, Topeka Civic Theatre to Madrigals and Jazz Band. There were definitely a few (not so) famous local bands and jam sessions with friends in Lawrence backyards and on that big ol’ Jayhawk Hill. Many winding roads have led me back to my roots, and the music that made them, and the only thing left is to share the sounds in my head and my heart with all of you.

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 Cairo Marques-Neto in Boston, MA. Cairo is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Cairo and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

I’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing a demo of one song remotely with the assistance of some pretty amazing technology. This first song is called “Breathe,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund this initial recording process for "Breathe" on my own, to create an album of songs with full production and professional 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. Cairo 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.

At this juncture of my life, and specifically as a father, I feel it is extremely important to stay true to myself and to teach my daughter to do the same. Now, recording my music is the best way I feel I can do that. Although, the journey of a musician is often slightly untraditional and highly based in community. From live performance to interacting and creating with other artists, it definitely isn’t something you can do all on your own.

While I've never made a music project of this caliber before, I have managed and executed creative projects of all types, specifically in theatre and film. Now, I’m ready to widen that scope to my first professional album. I can’t wait to share this project with my community and thank everyone for the role that they have played. This is so special for me, sharing it with all of you.

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.