Album: My Vreemde Kind

Hi everyone!

This is exciting: the very first song (single) off my album is coming out this friday 13.11.24. - «GIDEON»! This means you’ll be able to stream it everywhere: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Soundcloud…

But there’s something else you can do to help me right now: PRE-SAVE the song! This gives my single a little push when it actually comes out and gives it a chance to show up in playlists etc. IT’S EASY: Just go to this link:

https://orcd.co/zoelxaz

Then pick the streaming service that you use (Spotify, Apple Music, …) and click pre-save! You can share the pre-save link with all your friends :)

Some more news:

• The CDs are supposed to arrive at my house by post today!! I can’t wait to show you how they turned out!
• Tomorrow we’re shooting a music video for «GIDEON»! It’s going to be released on Thursday 28.11.! (You guys are the very first to know the release date, so mark your calendars!)

Thank you so much for your continued support, you are the best!!

Love, Clara

I can’t believe it’s over, I can’t believe we made it! 🥹 It’s been the most exciting month and I’m just so grateful to every one of the 110 (!!) people who backed this project. You are my heroes! It took me a day to process everything but here I am, saying the biggest thank you ever ❤️

So what now? The final master tracks sound great, I just placed the order for the CDs to be pressed today and I’m trying to plan a music video shoot. Last week I test-baked the cookie recipe and they were delicious! I’m also adding the finishing touches to the lyrics booklet design and I’m really happy with it. The album cover design is also done and it looks beautiful! You, my supporters, will be the first to see it as soon as I hold the CDs in my hands. That should be in about a months time.

I will be contacting most of you some time during the next month for details about your orders and to check whether your post addresses are correct. And then you’ll hear from me when I have more news!

Love, Clara

YESSSS!!! Together you’ve raised a whopping 8000€ and helped me reach my goal!! You guys are incredible and I love and appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me reach 100%. 81 beautiful people have helped make this happen <3 I’m so grateful to all of you and I’m going to celebrate tonight after our concert in Graz (19:30, Stockwerk.Jazz)!!

So far you have helped me pay for:

1. Mixing by Sixtus Preiss
2. Mastering bei Alex Vatagin
3. Studio rent
4. Musicians fees
5. Cover photos by Theresa Pewal
6. Cover artwork & graphics by Stefanie Gunckler
7. Postage for sending you your rewards

SO WHAT NOW? We still have 12 days left! So I’ve now set a 2nd financing goal: 9000€. For everyone who still wants to help out, or just really wants a CD or some cookies ;), here’s what you can help me finance from now on:

1. Music Video for my single! I will be releasing one single on 15. November (you are the first ones to get this info!) and I would really like to create a beautiful music video for it. I have the whole thing planned out, all that’s missing are the funds! So with the next 1000€ you can help me make that happen!

And if you want to go even further, you can help pay for:

1. Promo for the album
2. The actual pressing of the CDs
3. Paying for the beautiful live videos that Manuel Pitsch at Beardy Mountain Studio made for us (these videos will be released on YouTube after the album is out, but they are also essential for helping me book concerts so we can play this music live for all of you!)

So again, thank you so much for your support, I couldn’t have done it without you!!

Love, Clara

People, you are amazing - we still have 16 days to go and we’re almost there!! 68 beautiful people have helped out so far and it looks like we’re going to hit 100%! Because wemakeit is an all-or-nothing crowdfunding system, I only get any of your donations if we reach the full amount. So let’s go let’s go!!

This whole journey has been so exciting! I’ve been refreshing the wemakeit webpage 100 times a day and my heart skips a beat every time I see a new supporter has joined the team <3

I also have some other exciting news: I spent a long time looking for the right label to release this album on, and finally found a wonderful home and team for MY VREEMDE KIND:

UNIT RECORDS! (https://unitrecords.com/)

They’re a Swiss-Austrian jazz music label who were just recently taken over by two fantastic young bassists: Andreas Waelti (who I’ve known for a few years) and Luca Sisera. I’m so happy to be working with them and their team and to have their help in releasing and promoting my music!

This week I’m busy practicing and preparing for our concert in Graz on Friday the 4th at Stockwerk jazz club. We’re playing the opening show for the world music festival FOLK.ART and it’s going to be so much fun! I’ll also have a limited number of linocut prints there for you to buy (yay merch!)

Get your tickets here: https://www.folkart.at/programm-2024/clara-montocchio-band/

Love, Clara

It took me a day longer than I’d planned, but here is the brand NEW REWARD I promised you:

Special VIP TICKETS to our Vienna RELEASE CONCERT on 23.December 2024 + signed CD!!

Here’s the deal: You get a special VIP ticket for our Viennese album release concert at F23! (part of the «Musikalischer Adventkalender» festival - https://wienerlied-und.at/) Before the concert you and the other VIP ticket holders get to take part in an exclusive introductory talk and Q&A where I’ll personally hand you a signed CD. I’ll do my best to answer all your questions about the music, about me or anything else! Before the concert starts we’ll all raise a glass of sparkling wine together and toast to the finished CD! The concert will be free seating, so course we’ll reserve the best seats for you.

Tickets for the festival only go on sale in October so don’t miss this opportunity to get your tickets before anyone else!

This is one of the most special rewards for me, because playing live for you is my favourite thing in the world and the biggest reason I made this album. ❤️

And while we’re at it, here are all of live dates this year:

04.10.24, 19:30 - folk.art Festival, Stockwerk Graz https://www.folkart.at/programm-2024/clara-montocchio-band/

14.12.24, 19:30 - Dakig Gänserndorf RELEASE CONCERT! https://www.kulturbuehne.at/programm#article-13713

23.12.24, 19:30 - Musikalischer Adventskalender (F23 Wien) VIENNA RELEASE CONCERT! https://wienerlied-und.at/

Love, Clara

By the way, you may have seen that there are 2 different Linocut print designs for you to choose from. Here’s a little guide with pictures to help you choose (If you’ve already picked one but changed your mind just write me a message or comment!):

1. «Flowers» Inspired by one of the songs on the album called «Flowers Of The Sea», a song about being yourself and seeing the true beauty within.
2. «Kombuis» A scene from one of the songs on the album called «Ster In Die Kombuis» (which means star in the kitchen in Afrikaans), a bittersweet break-up lullaby played on the Kalimba, a traditional South African instrument.

Both are designed, hand-cut and hand-printed by me! This was such a fun project to do :) I hope you like them!

Love, Clara

Wow, you guys are incredible!! When I woke up this morning and saw that we’d reached the 50% mark I just couldn’t believe it - in just 2 days!! I feel so blessed to have all of you on board, thank you so much!

So, as a special treat for you, I’ll be adding a new, extra cool reward TOMORROW! I can’t wait to tell you what it is…

Love, Clara