Chely Wright Turns to Kickstarter to Fund New Album
Chely Wright is recording a new album, and she's letting her fans get in on the action. The singer has started a Kickstarter campaign to release her upcoming project, with a goal of raising $175,000.
"I’ve been writing a lot of songs in the past few years, and I'm ready to start recording my next album. I need your help," Wright says on the campaign page. "I will make a record in the same way I’ve always made records -- using the best musicians, the best engineers and recording in the best studios available. The only difference this time around is that we are choosing to harness the 'power of the people' to fund my album."
Her last album, 'Lifted Off the Ground,' was released in 2010, to coincide with her memoir, 'Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer,' which detailed her coming out as a lesbian.
"I got legally married in 2011, and in 2013, my wife Lauren and I doubled the size of our family by having identical twin boys -- Everett and George," the songstress notes. "They’re 15 months old and doing great."
With her personal life stable and happy, Wright says she is ready to return to what she does best -- making music.
"For my past couple of releases, the budget for simply producing and manufacturing my records has been around $200,000," she explains. "And then, the record label invests hundreds of thousands more in marketing and promotion. When I was on major labels, these dollar amounts were nearly doubled."
The 43-year-old is offering incentives for pledges, including a free download of the new album, a pre-show meet and greet, an autographed copy of 'Like Me,' a personal phone call, lunch with Wright in one of her favorite restaurants in New York City, and even a double date with her and her wife, Lauren.
The 'Single White Female' singer isn't the only country artist who has relied on Kickstarter. Jo Dee Messina, Jason Michael Carroll, Ty Herndon and Whitney Duncan have all used the crowd-funding site in the past.
Wright's Kickstarter campaign runs through Oct. 9. More information, including donation information, can be found here.