Overview

Hello friends! My name is Samuel Irvin, and I'm a singer-songwriter in the beautiful city of Bozeman, Montana.

I grew up in a home steeped with music, from my mother’s piano to the pop/rock music blaring from behind the door of my oldest sister’s bedroom.  I followed my brother’s lead into school run music programs and eventually rock bands.  Over the years, I have sung in all kinds of choirs, fronted bands, and lead worship services. I have played jazz, folk, pop, country, and classical music on my guitar.  More than any of this, I have listened.  I have listened intently to countless hours of music, often listening and analyzing until I could no longer stay awake.  All of this has informed the musical ideas that I now humbly present to you all as a brand new collection of recordings.

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 Bryan Fennelly in Boston, MA.

Bryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Bryan 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 “On My Way,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "On My Way" 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. Bryan 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.

I gave up everything to pursue music early in my life.  Unfortunately, when I did, my motivations were all wrong and my endeavors left me broken and lost.  I have spent years wondering, eventually finding a path that was stable and fulfilling.  I have learned much since my early endeavors into music, but the importance of it, and its draw on my life, have not changed.  Music has been my life’s undercurrent, sometimes dormant, sometimes bubbling up in new and different ways only to recede beneath the surface again.  Yet, subconsciously or semi-consciously I have made nearly every major decision in such a way to give it opportunity again.  That opportunity has arrived. 

I have been through a lot of obstacles, had some failures, and some successes.  I have studied and thought a lot about life over the years.  Truthfully, I still face a lot of the same internal struggles I did when I was younger.  The music I create now helps me to seek truth through processing my feelings and my reactions to whatever life brings my way.  It helps me refocus on what I believe is most important.  The fulfillment of this opportunity will allow me not only to continue this process of deep reflection, but also to establish and grow an audience who can benefit from the results of that process.  I see my music as a doorway to have conversations with people who are, like I was, seeking something beyond what they know in a language that perfectly expressed how they feel.

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.