Dear Music Family,
I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones happy and safe. My thoughts are with those dealing with the aftermath of the many recent natural disasters around the world. More on that below…
It’s been a while since my last note. I hope you all had a wonderful summer. Here are the highlights from mine: I got an inflatable Kayak and went lake camping with Charlotte the dog. Charlotte got a lifejacket which has handles and is hilarious. I missed the eclipse completely. I got a basil plant and haven’t killed it yet. I spent a lot of time in my studio producing records and working on new music.
Also I’m going to Sweden in a week! I was invited to the High Coast Songwriting Camp, consisting of 18 songwriters from all over the world. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m super pumped about getting to meet/work with some super talented artists. And I wouldn’t be mad if a little of that Swedish pop genius rubbed off on my new record. Speaking of which…
I’m thrilled to announce that recording for my second solo album is officially underway!
The recording process can often be ridiculously isolated… an artist holes up in a studio, house, or underground bunker for weeks/months/years, does irreparable damage to personal relationships and personal hygiene, and emerges some time later to drop new music on an unsuspecting world. However, I’ve always loved when art is more of a conversation than a monologue, when listeners share their experience of the music and the artist reveals the seed behind an idea and how it becomes a finished song.
I want to invite my listeners into the creative process with the help of Patreon. Here’s how it works: You pledge a small monthly amount (as low as $1) and in return I give you access to cool stuff, like unreleased new songs and demos, behind-the-scenes videos of my production process from my studio, and even private online/in-person concerts and custom-composed music. All Patrons get exclusive access to the songs from the new album as they are completed, long before they are made available to the public. When you sign up at any level you will immediately get access to the first song from my new record, “Show Yourself.”
In light of recent events, I am donating 100% of all first-month proceeds from everyone who pledges by October 31 to disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
It’s a strange time to be a musician as well as a music fan… we often wonder how to best support the independent artists we love… should we buy CDs, stream them on Spotify, or go see them on tour? If you’re a fan of what I do as an artist, Patreon is THE BEST way to support my ongoing ability to create music and share it with the world. Please consider checking it out!
One more thing: None of this would be possible without the steady hand of my friend and new community manager for this Patreon campaign, Josephine Huynh. She’s been working tirelessly alongside me to get ready for the launch, helping to design rewards that would be fulfilling for supporters, and helping to keep me on track throughout this process while I was consumed with writing and recording the music and occasionally pulling my hair out. She’s talented, intelligent and organized, and I know firsthand that her support for the artistic community means the world to us musicians. People like her are a huge reason why we keep doing what we do. Thank you Josephine!
Thanks so much for being part of this conversation.
Much love,
Alex Wong
