The Boundary Riders (NZ Pioneer Women)

The Boundary Riders (NZ Pioneer Women)

Project 2014-02-02 19:19:13 +1300

The final journey of The Boundary Riders Show Album & Programme

NB I have two pledgeme campaigns happening here (this for those in NZ) and the one on Indiegogo for those in the USA and the UK and further afield. All pledges will be honoured and all merchandise sent out at the end of Feb - two months before the official release in May. 

My name's Rachel Dawick and I've been working on a project for the last three years you could say it has been a quest to discover the hidden stories of women in NZ in the 1800s and turn those into songs. If you go to my website you can find out more about it with here from some of the radio interviews I've had through this time.

Anyway for those that know me I've been singing and writing songs for the last 12 years now with three albums released over that time that I have self funded - 'Journeys', 'Ed's Bar and Grill' and most recently 'Dirty Linen'. At various stages I have tried to do the songwriting and performing fulltime but never made that full leap of faith until four years ago and now there is no going back.

So now after three years of working on this project that has been its own journey with tragic occurances including a van dying on the way to my first gig of the tour, to a snapped archilles tendon and laid up for months, and some heartbreak along the way. But where there have been tragedies there have also been great moments of wonder ....

Meeting and learning about the different characters from history along the road, endless adventures including cycling solo from Cape Reinga to Bluff with a tent and a ukelele, falling in love and discovering so many wonderous things in that journey, finding the stories of the women and turning those into songs, weaving musical magic with Jon Sanders in the arrangements, watching the music develop into a full show, heading out on tour and sharing those stories with the public to finally laying down the tracks in Katikati with the most wonderous band you could imagine - Jon Sanders on bouzouki, ukelele and guitar, Andy Laking on Double Bass, Dave Khan on Violin, Accordian and Mandolin and Chris Koole on percussion. And finally developing the tracks into a full show with the wonderful narrative of Steve Bretel taking us on a journey through time.

So that leads me to today.........

What Do I Need To Finish This?

So as a self employed artist I now need your help so that you can now finally enjoy the fruits of these last three years and hold that album and programme in your hand.

• I need approx $8,000 to cover the final stage. But because if I don't meet my target in this campaign I don't get any of the money and it all has to start again I have decided to place the target at $1,000 but am hoping to exceed this a few times over!!
• The $8,000  includes the studio time for the recording, the mixing and mastering of the album, the design of the CD and Programme, and the printing of the six panel CD and 60 page  Programme/book that includes not only the whole script of the show but images of the characters, background to the stories and tales and pictures from the road.
• To entice you even further I have been busy making a whole array of merchandise that fits in with the whole theme of the album - including waistcoats, journal folders, hessian cushions, wine bags, and bloomers all with the Boundary Riders logo and a picture of your favourite characters in the show.
• All the funds received from this campaign will go towards the final stage and if I don't make the target everything will still go ahead even if it means selling off some of my own things, busking 24 hours a day, selling my body on the streets - well you get the picture! But it would be great to get as close to possible so that latter act is not required.....!

The Impact

I have already had a wonderful response from people along the road which you can read here and I am constantly amazed at how these stories not only bring joy and intrigue to so many but how they open up so many other stories that people want to share of their own history. This is the wonder of such a musical project.

WHAT'S COMING UP?!!

As a special treat I am bringing the original show band back together for two one off concerts. One as part of the Katikati and Tauranga Folk Festival on the 22nd February and the second on the 23rd February in Auckland - venue to be announced soon. Not only will the new album and book be available to purchase only at these two pre release concerts but also you can pick up your fundraising perk at one of the concerts if you happen to be coming along. So don't miss out as the album is not officially available any other time apart from this campaign and the two pre release concerts until its official launch on May 1st in Wellington New Zealand to celebrate New Zealand Music Month. Following this there will be a solo promo concert and talk tour as well as a band tour of the show from May - July in New Zealand so look out for more information.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute yourself financially you can always support me in my campaign by letting others know about this work. Spreading the word about coming gigs. Sharing the stories with friends and there are sharing tools here that I encourage you to use to enable you to do this

Most of all is to see these stories shared and for these women to begin a musical journey into our past and in ways that begin to I hope move beyond individual musical genres and into a world where the characters determine the style and the audience are taken on a historic and musical journey.

COMING SOON NEW MERCHANDISE INCLUDING PUPPET THEATRE TO GO WITH THE SHOW ALBUM, SPECIAL ONE OFF TREATS, REQUESTS....

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