The project is simple. I'm touring in November. I want to bring my band along with me. We need funds to cover the costs of the tour (travel and acommodation of the band being the most important cost). Our ideal goal is $4,011 (see budget breakdown below), however $2,000 is a great starting point for us to at least get the band on the road. Pozible will only pay out successful campaigns, so we MUST get to $2,000 AT LEAST in order to make this happen.

THE UPCOMING TOUR:


I love touring and performing with my band. According to those who've come to our shows to see us play, we provide people with a positive and soulful music experience that is uplifting, engaging and empowering. I've had people tell me that they felt really inspired to do something new such as committing to a community cause or charity, or taking that first step towards living their dreams. And this has all from just watching us play live.

The story of us coming together is a long one, which I will try to summarise here in a short, concise way.

A number of years a go, I was toying with the idea of getting a band together. One of my brothers, Sie-1, strongly recommended it and went out to try and recruit some members for me. He mentioned a few names of people who he had come into contact with. I remember rocking up to the studio one day to find Clinton (drums), Chris (bass) and Duane (guitar) ready to play. Clinton and Duane are school teachers, and at the time, were working at the same school together, and Chris was brought into the fold by Clinton. We spent our first few rehearsal sessions learning some of my songs and just getting to know each other. My mate WZKD was also part of the band to begin with as a fellow MC. We played a number of gigs together, mostly local shows, just getting a feel for each other. Those were great times. And you could track our progression after each show. We were getting better and better. And more confident too. During this time, I was performing a lot of sets as a pure solo artist (no band, and in most cases, no DJ), trying to improve my skills as a MC.

Eventually, we got to a point where we needed to invite more members into the band. Whenever we got together, we'd come up with amazing ideas for arrangements, which we couldn't pull off because we didn't have the people in place to be able to take on those roles. So I put together a wish list of artists who I wanted to invite into the band. My number 1 pick for a DJ was MK-1. And my first 2 picks for back up vocalists were Tee and Mirrah. I didn't have any back-up picks. I've known MK-1 and Mirrah for years via the Hip Hop scene. And I've known Tee for a number of years through the local community. I nervously contacted each of them individually and asked if they'd like to come on board, and to my suprise, they each said yes!

The band transformed into a diverse, musical mix featuring Clinton, Chris, Duane, MK-1, Mirrah, Tee and myself. The journey has been so much fun. Each rehearsal session is like performing at a gig. We really enjoy each others company. The jokes, the stories, and the music! We're like a super-team. A family. Some of my most memorable performances have come with the band alongside me. We have such a stong chemistry and a great feel for each other.

I really want to bring my band on this tour with me. I want to bring that fun and excitement on tour. I'm sure you will feel that level of energy and joy when you come to see us perform in your city. Also, this tour is going to be a memorable one. It is going to be celebration of the second single (titled "Faithful") from my upcoming album. It follows the success of "One" which is currently on rotation on triple j. "Faithful" pays respect to where I grew up, South West Sydney, and is a soulful and expressive song. It is one of my personal favourites on the album.

I honestly think that there is no other band like us in this country. So feel free to support us here. Make a pledge. Remember, your money doesn't come through to us unless we reach our minimum target of $2,000. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter (@LFRESHTheLION) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/LFRESHTheLION) or any of the band members.

Much peace, love and respect.

1

L

BAND VIDEO FOOTAGE:

Here's some footage from our most recent gig, the single launch for "One":
Here's some hilarious footage of Mirrah learning to play the drums during one of our rehearsal sessions in the lead up to the single launch for "One": And finally here's some rehearsal footage of us preparing for the "One" single launch:

MEET THE BAND:

MIRRAH: The mother of our band! Mirrah is the most positive and energetic person I know. When we're rehearsing or about to go on stage, she'll make sure we all have bottles of water nearby and our set list or she'll prepare warm honey water/ginger tea for our vocalists. She's always thinking one step ahead. Mirrah is also one of the most hype MC's I've ever shared the stage with. If you've ever been to one of our shows, you'll know how much fun she is to be around.


DUANE: also known as the March man of the year is the guitarist in our band. He's also probably the most mature member of our band haha. He has such a calm vibe about him; always cool headed. Duane (along with Chris and Clinton) has been with me from the very beginning of the live band experience. I'm forever grateful for his presence and dedication.


TEE: Man, what a voice! I remember the first time I heard him sing. I was sitting in my office whilst at work, and heard a booming voice from the other side of the building. He was in one of the other rooms rehearsing. Such a powerful, emotive voice. If you're a X-Factor fan, you would have seen him bless the stage, showcasing his talents to the rest of Australia. What you probably didn't see on X-Factor was his true personality. He's such a fun guy to be around. Always laughing, smiling and cracking jokes.


CHRIS: The father of all dad jokes, Chris - our bass player. Chris has been around since the very beginning. I remember the time we rehearsed at the Vienna People studio and him and Clinton were placed in the far booth, with no air conditioning. Each time they emerged from the booth, they were both sweating their arses off haha! I gotta give a shoutout to Chris' family who have come along to almost all of our gigs. They're massive supporters of our collective! Such great people.


JOHN: also known as MK-1; one of my favourite DJs going around. He was my number one pick when it came time to trying to recruit a DJ into the band. I was so happy when he said he'd come on board. In our band, he also plays the two finger keyboard solo, as you can see in the above picture haha. He's got stories for days and such a great knowledge of music.


CLINTON: also known as the Bonsai Keeper or the Naked Drummer, Clinton has been a member of this band since the very beginning. He keeps the beats banging. He's always got creative ideas to share with us when we're piecing together the set. It's great to be a part of a team where each member contributes and adds value to the set. Clinton and his fiance Mel are massive supporters of the band. Clinton also grows his beard every now and then so we have a bearded connection.


ME (L-FRESH The LION): And then there's me. It's a blessing to be a part of such a strong team. Each member brings something unique to the band. We all have such diverse musical tastes and experiences, which makes it all the more exciting when we get together to jam. I couldn't have asked for a better team.

http://www.l-fresh.com
http://www.twitter.com/lfreshthelion
http://www.facebook.com/lfreshthelion

1. Our biggest challenge is getting the band to each and every show. We're hoping that we can raise enough funds to ensure that we can all be there. We know you will come through and support us in our efforts to make these shows the best they can be.

2. Getting the word out there so we have a whole bunch of people at the show. It would be great it we could reach our overall target ($4,011) because then we can afford to spend $ on advertising. Usually we promote heavily via word of mouth and social media. We will do the same this time around. But it'd be nice for us to be able to get the word out to as many people as possible and invite brand new listeners to the show.