Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives

Although it's been years since Lyric recorded music, the Asheville band has four songs prepared for a new EP called Perspective. "I want my music to let people know that you can still be happy even if you’re going through a hard time," says frontwoman Leeda Jones. "I just want it to make people feel good and always have a positive message without it being too cheesy." Still frame from Lyric's crowdfunding video

Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise start-up capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. Each week, Xpress highlights notable Western North Carolina crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd.

Lyric’s new EP Perspective

Leeda “Lyric” Jones’ music exists to make people move and feel good, according to the artist, who got her start busking after encouragement from her dad. He’s now the bass player in Jones’ band, which churns out a mixture of pop melodies and upbeat jams for increasingly large crowds. “Seeing people get down to a funky groove we might be laying down, it’s amazing. Sometimes I want to get outside of myself and be part of the crowd,” she says. Lyric’s last recording session was in 2011, but the artist is poised to make a four-song EP titled Perspective. “I just feel like it’s time to bring something fresh to the fans,” she says, and “have something that represents me now.” Lyric aims to raise $5,000 by Friday, Dec. 4, to pay for studio time and get Perspective into the hands of listeners and interested record labels.

The WE DO Campaign documentary

“The WE DO Campaign launched in 2011 in a church basement in Asheville,” reads a crowdfunding page by The Campaign for Southern Equality. “The concept was simple: LGBT couples would apply for and be denied marriage licenses in their hometowns all across the south.” A filmmaker then captured 85 hours of footage in multiple states over several years — footage that depicts Southerners facing intolerance in the place they’re proud to call home. “The Supreme Court marriage victory changed our country,” reads the crowdfunding page. “That decision was born out of decades of work in the courts, in the legislatures and in the streets of our hometowns. In the south, one part of that story was the people who took a stand with the WE DO Campaign.” The Campaign for Southern Equality aims to raise $7,500 by Tuesday, Dec. 1, to have existing footage edited into a 30-minute film.

Send your crowdsourcing campaign news to kmcreynolds@mountainx.com. A limited number of campaigns will be highlighted each week, at Xpress’ discretion. Campaigns must be locally based and should represent a current project with an achievable goal. Conditions are subject to change. Read about more Western North Carolina projects here.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.