The Artists’ Perspective
After releasing their first three albums through Underground Operations and fulfilling obligations to the Toronto punk rock label, Protest the Hero decided to join the crowdfunding bandwagon for their fourth.
Guitarist Tim Millar says the band became attracted to the concept after eyeing the success of other independent artists, like Palmer, ska group Five Iron Frenzy ($207,000) and indie-rock ensemble Murder by Death ($187,000)––who, along with industrial-rock band Mindless Self Indulgence ($225,000), have had the most heavily funded Kickstarter music projects thus far.
“We wanted to have control and not have to answer to anyone,” Millar says. “We don’t really want to be in the business of selling and distributing records.”
Protest the Hero also noticed another fringe benefit that comes with a crowdfunding campaign: It can provide a band with key metrics about its fanbase, such as breadth, geographic distribution, level of devotion, etc., which can then be used to hone plans for marketing, touring and beyond.
“In a worst-case scenario, we thought we’d have a better idea of what our support was really like,” Millar says. “You never know why people are at your shows, and record sales aren’t a valid number anymore.”
Protest the Hero collected that critical information during their 30-day campaign to raise $125,000, which turned out to be anything but a worst-case scenario. The band scooped up $200,000 in the first seven days of the effort and ultimately garnered contributions from 8,300 fans.
“What surprised me the most was that a small amount of people were able to generate a large amount of income for us,” says Millar. He added that the band will use the extra $216,000 it received above the goal expectation to produce a making-of-the-album DVD, touring costs and, potentially, expenses for Protest the Hero’s fifth album.
Millar attributes the success of the campaign to three factors: organization, organization, organization. Prior to its launch in mid-January, he and his four bandmates spent three weeks creating spreadsheets that detailed the projected album expenses and funds needed for their campaign goal.
Also in advance, the bandmembers created a treatment for a video introducing the campaign; drafted a letter explaining the crowdfunding effort to fans; and established the Indiegogo “perks” that supporters would receive, such as the opportunity to perform guest vocals or other instrumentation on the record (for a $5,000 contribution); to take part in a pizza party/sleepover at Millar’s house in Toronto ($1,250); and receive a handwritten set of lyrics ($250).
Protest the Hero still have some more work to do––recording the album, for example. They also have to find a company that can ship the album and figure out a way for the campaign contributors to all receive it at the same time.
Millar said the band wants to make sure that the album is available to fans and others who didn’t want to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign––or couldn’t, after it ended. The Canadian band’s last two albums both cracked the top 100 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
“That was the one thing I was worried about: We send out the new album to our Indiegogo supporters, but then it isn’t released [broadly],” he says.
Whether Protest the Hero revisits crowdfunding is also uncertain, according to Millar. “I don’t know how many people can do it twice,” he wonders. “It’s good to know that it’s an option, but we’re not going to take money if we don’t need it.”
