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Start of work on the Kickstarter Campaign
Work started near the beginning of the year. "I researched... similar projects (successful and unsuccessful), looked into the pros and cons of various crowd funding websites, gathered together a group of people for an evening to discuss ideas, spoke with the video director (who had also run a Kickstarter campaign and had lots of tips), thought carefully about the target, what rewards to include, what the video should say, what updates to do etc." -
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Facebook - Teaser
Yakobo Facebook PageNote saying there will be news tomorrow. -
Facebook - News there will be 3 EPs
They will be funded via Kickstarter. The news is accompanied by a video. -
Facebook - Live in 5 Notice
Just a reminder the Kickstart campaign is shortly to go live. -
Launch of the one month Kickstarter Campaign.
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Kickstarter Campaign Launch Gig
Held at the Bookcafe venue, Derby, in the cathedral quarter. The venue claims to be "A quirky mix of interesting books, lovely gifts, fantastic food & drink made fresh to order in a friendly & inspiring environment."
James hits the go button on the campaign from the stage at the launch gig. It is complicated and timeconsuming, but it works. -
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Kickstarter Campaign is Live
Yakobo's one month Kickstarter campaign to raise approx £4k for recording 3 EPs. -
Youtube - Kickstarter video posted
Yakobo Kickstarter Video on Youtube
The 3:32 min video explains that Yakobo is a good musician but needs funding to make better records with really great producers and musicians.
James posts a first update on how the campaign is going on Kickstarter today as well. 9% of the target met via the launch. -
Yakobo starts to contact artists and printers.
During May, Yakobo started contacting graphic artists, printers &c in May 2015 regarding artwork for posters and album design work.
At the same time, he was also booking gigs across the country to get the music to new audiences. -
Kickstarter Funding Update
Instagram MessageAfter one week, the project is 33% funded. James gets excited and posts an Instagram message to celebrate this. -
Kickstarter Update: First Studio Recordings at Vale Studios
Start of the recording process. Drums and bass tracking. The funding situation is 43%, roughly on track. -
Proud Camden Live Event - Yakobo's first London gig.
Proud Camden is a gallery space and bar by day. By night it claims to be "the ultimate venue in Camden and London for cutting edge live music and a hectic club after dark." Acts such as Florence & the Machine, Calvin Harris, Stereophonics, and Sting have all played here. Yakobo's gig will be free on the door; he is amongst a number of acts lined up for a weekend of varied live music. -
New Reward Added to the Kickstarter
An exclusive online gig via StageIt will be performed, for backers only - tickets £5 each, limited to 30 backers. This will take place on 22 May. The project is now 45% funded as at this announcement. -
Kickstarter Update - 7 days to go
49% funded at this point. 41 people have pledged £1,976 (£48.20 each on average). As part of the final push, Yakobo releases an outtakes video from making the Kickstarter video, to the tune of 'Close Call' one of the tunes that will be on the EPs. -
Facebook - gig announcement
There will be a secret gig for backers only in 3 days time at the end of the Kickstarter campaign if it is successful. £1k still to raise. -
Kickstarter Update - 70% Financed; Additional Concert
In just 4 days, the funding has gone from 49% to 70% of the target, but they still need to make the target to get anything. There will now be a second live-stream concert, this one on 25th May, free for all backers. With £1k left to raise, this will be the focus of the final push. -
Last Day of Kickstarter Campaign
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Kickstarter Update - 20% still to fund, 6 hours to go.
It is the final day of the campaign, and a fifth of the funding is still to be found. The live show to round off the campaign is to be on YouTube, and backers will be getting a link via their mailbox. -
Kickstarter Campaign Results
The kickstarter campaign was successful, raised £4668 with 76 backers (an average of £61.42 spend each) in order to make the project happen. The goal was reached with just a few hours to go. -
Exclusive Update for Backers re EP1 progress
The update has "behind the scenes footage" of James making the first of the EPs. -
Kickstarter Update: EP1 is complete
An exclusive, backers-only update to let them know that the first EP is ready and that their individual rewards are coming. -
Creation of the Launchgig event and sending invitations
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Facebook Announcement - Release date of EP1
EP1 will be Wander in the Wilderness, released on 23 October. -
Facebook Reminder of the Launch Date in Under 2 Weeks
The first EP will be launched with a live gig. -
Facebook Update: Teaser re release of the first track from EP1
The first track will be released as a free download tomorrow. This will be available to everyone, not just backers. Yakobo uses the tags #NewMusicTuesday and #WITW to both broaden the discoverability of the news and also to give the album its own tag, so he can see when people are commenting. -
Release of the First Single from EP1 on Bandcamp
Backers also get access to their Advance Downloads of EP1 from today if it was part of their reward package. -
Facebook Page One-week-to-go update
Yakobo Facebook The update includes a picture of a very happy James with the CDs as they have now arrived, ready for sale and distribution. -
Facebook: Teaser re video release tomorrow
News that there will be news tomorrow. -
Release of a new video Water into Wine, from EP1
The video is shared on Facebook and embedded on Yakobo's own webpage, from its youtube location. It features a live acoustic performance of one of the songs on the EP. -
LAUNCH of EP1, Wander in the Wilderness
The launch coincides with a live event, held at Bar One in Derby. Support from Nathalie Smallwood; open mic and jam session after - “anything could happen”. Entry free to backers of the project, and CDs on sale at just £2 each. This is £1 less than the minimum Bandcamp price for the album. -
Youtube video - Thanking specific backers
Thank you video This is a fairly short (3:24 min) video thanking specific people who have helped make the project a reality. A bit like an oscars speech. -
Facebook - Update - Kickstarter Thankyous on their way
An update to say that the Kickstarter CD and thank you notes are on their way. Update includes a picture of handmade thank you notes in progress and a stack of the CDs on James’s home studio desk. -
The gigging goes on
Regular gigging has been a key part of Yakobo's fan communication and growth strategy, getting the word out to existing and potential new fans. -
