Skip to main contentWe're not the only ones here at Willamette Week keeping an eye on what's going on with Portlanders and Kickstarter. Our own Ruth Brown has started a similar column called Kickstart My Heart that will focus on the world of visual arts. Be sure to check it out. You know, after you've read this week's installment of Kickstarted.
The project: Onuinu's new album
Who's behind the project? Portland musician Dorian Duvall.
Why does he want your money? After a scattered few tracks released on compilations and half of a now out of print Apes Tapes release, Duvall is ready to make a full-length album and he needs your help to do it.
What is he offering? A fair amount of pledge gifts from four-track recordings to a signed copy of the new album on vinyl to a show performed in your home.
How much is he asking for? The goal is $3,000 of which he has only been able to wrangle up $250 (as of this writing).
Will he be fully funded? It ain't looking good. At this point, he has four days to pull together over two grand in pledges. Which unless you're talking about feeding the poor or helping people rebuild their homes after a natural disaster is a rather daunting task.
Our final assessment: I can't say I'm terribly surprised to see this struggling to reach the final plateau. And that is not a knock on Duvall's music at all, which I think is some of the best electro pop being made in our city right now. Part of the trouble is what he's offering to pledgers. It would be hard for any up and coming artist to convince people that paying $100 for a signed copy of the vinyl of your new album would be worth their cash. Same goes for offering up a t-shirt (and all the other pledge gifts) for $250. Something's amiss there. As well, Duvall's been flying under the radar for the most part since he came alive on the scene about two and a half years ago. His shows have been electrifying and fun, but he's a very soft spoken guy offstage who doesn't glad hand the way many young acts will do. You never get the impression that he cares whether you like his music or not. It's a great stance to take if you're comfortable playing the occasional show and dropping the occasional song on the world, but not one that is conducive to getting people to open up their wallets on your behalf. Do I think you should crack open your virtual piggy banks for Dorian and his music? Hell. Yes. The guy's incredibly talented and it has been amazing to watch his music evolve. Watching it flourish over the course of a full album is likely going to produce some amazing results.
WWeek 2015