Any Over the Rhine fans out there? (That’s me waving my arms wildly.) A new album is on the way, and you can become involved with its release.

 

In another of his typically long-form letters, co-founder/pianist Linford Detweiler explains that he and his wife, lead vocalist Karin Bergquist are looking for financial support to record their new album. It’s not that Over the Rhine is in desperate need—“Send money or we’ll have to quit!”—but rather that they’re the latest in a new trend. Having left their record label a couple years ago to become independent, they now need fans to help with the upfront recording costs normally handled by a record label.

 

And why not? Back in the day, kings and nobility would name composers and musicians to their courts, supporting artistry for their own personal enjoyment. The same is true in this scenario, only the process is more democratic, not to mention easier on the budget.

 

Check out the band’s site for a complete list of the different ways to become involved. Minimally, for the price of a CD, you can pre-order the album and receive it a month early, along with some other bonuses and the duo’s personal gratitude. $50 gets you even more, including some very promising sounding demo recordings. Depending on how crazy you want to get, you can get your name on the guest list for all of OTR’s shows in 2011, or score an Executive Producer credit for the album, or even arrange an exclusive acoustic show in your own house (all for a mere $10K!).

 

I personally like the arrangement and wish more of my favorite artists solicited for funding in exchange for exclusive goodies. What about you? Are you enough of an OTR fan to participate? And even if you’re not, what do you think of the idea?