Daniel Graves

In 2006, I quit my job and moved from Los Angeles to Berlin to follow my dream of being a professional musician. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no understanding of the amount of blood, sweat and tears required to have a hope of surviving this volatile business. Over the years I’ve worked with labels, managers, publicists, booking agents and concert promoters. I’ve put out multiple albums and played hundreds, if not thousands of concerts in dozens of countries. Most importantly, though, I’ve connected with tens of thousands of music fans, who have shown me that despite the difficulties, this was the right choice for me.

The industry today is very different from the one I entered all those years ago. While the collapse of music sales was a big setback, the rise of social media bridged the divide between artists and their fans. The internet has cut out the need for a middle man and allowed musicians the freedom to work on their own terms. That freedom, however, comes with it’s own set of challenges. Artists must continually search for new ways of supporting themselves, because selling music itself is simply not enough. Most artists, myself included, have turned to touring. It's no wonder, often one concert can pay the equivalent of one year's worth of music sales. Problem is, all this time on the road leaves little time for writing music. Instead of only touring, I’d like to focus more on creating. I want to spend my time writing, creating videos and producing emerging artists. Imagine what I could accomplish if I were to focus on my art without interference from labels or the distraction of constant touring. With your help, I would be beholden to my audience and myself; no one else. 

After years of skepticism regarding crowdfunding, much thought and debate has me convinced that it is the future of the arts. In the spirit of the Renaissance, it’s a way for a noble few to support artists they value, in an effort to help them keep creating for everyone. This is a work in progress. I want to hear your feedback so I can tweak this experience so our relationship is symbiotic. I’m beyond excited to move forward in this unwritten future… together.