Temple’s Owlcappella has raised over $6,000 through a crowdfunding site called Indiegogo, on which they started a campaign titled “OwlCappella Needs YOUR Howlp!”
The group raised a total amount of $10,000 – much of which will go toward the release of their new EP.
Indiegogo, an international crowdfunding site, seemed a natural choice for the group, which needed to raise $6,000 to record.
“It has allowed us to reach a much wider audience and fundraise more efficiently,” said Eric Braceland, OwlCappella vice president. “Without Indiegogo, who knows how long it would have taindieken to obtain our goal?”
The group’s goal was met by the end of the contribution period and combined with other funds collected previously.
“We’ve raised just around $10,000,” Tyler Lawson, OwlCappella president, wrote in an email. “A majority of this money came from our Indiegogo campaign (just over $6,000), and the rest was earned at gigs or donated at our concerts.”
The group’s upcoming EP will be its third, following “Out of the Nest,” which was released in March 2014. Like the previous release, the new EP will feature seven songs, but this is the first release that the group is not exclusively covering songs.
“This EP will feature the first group’s first original song, which is a huge step artistically from only performing covers,” Lawson said.
OwlCappella has covered artists like Lorde and Panic! At the Disco on previous releases.
The EP will feature all 16 members of OwlCappella from Fall 2014, as well as alumni.
“This EP will be even bigger and better than the last,” Lawson wrote. “The group has gained some new members, and we’ve grown a lot musically since the last time we recorded.”
OwlCappella launched its campaign on Nov. 13, offering rewards to contributors, ranging from posters and copies of previous EPs to private performances and being able to choose a song for the group to perform.
“Every second in the studio counts, so every dollar is going to directly impact our final product,” the group wrote on its Indiegogo page. “You’ll not only have a direct hand in helping us share our music with thousands of people, but you’ll also be helping us grow as musicians as well as create an experience that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.”
At the end of the campaign, the a cappella group raised $6,190 from 54 funders. The rest was raised through other contributions. The most claimed perk was a pre-order of the EP, but OwlCappella also sold all three of its “choose a song we perform” perks.
OwlCappella is funded entirely by way of donations and money collected through concerts. The group also receives access to certain venues at Temple, which Lawson says is “very important when concert time rolls around.”
The EP is being recorded at Silvertone Studios with Alfred Goodrich in Ardmore. Goodrich has recorded a wide range of artists, including singer-songwriters, classical instrumentalists and even hip-hop.
OwlCappella has recorded all three EPs with Goodrich.
“He’s been such a great mentor during the recording process,” Lawson wrote.
“Goodrich has an incredible gift for audio engineering and allows us to create the best possible product,” Braceland added.
The recording process for the EP happened quickly; the group took a week to record the entire EP, spending nine hours per day in the studio. At times, the group was recording in two separate studios at once.
The mixing and mastering for the EP will take place over a number of weeks.
The group has high hopes for the EP.
“We’re excited for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on,” Braceland wrote in an email. “This group is so tight knit, and I think that really comes across in our sound. This is the best we’ve ever sounded, and we had so much fun recording.”
“OwlCappella would love to thank everyone who has supported us and allowed us to pursue our aspirations,” Braceland wrote. “The help has been greatly appreciated, and we plan to give the fans what they’ve paid for.”
Vince Bellino can be reached at vince.bellino@temple.edu
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