Anactoria

Hello! Thanks for being here. I type these words on Djiringanj country, it's late winter, 2021 and it's true, I'm right at the miraculous end of a huge album-making process, clutching a collection of Anactoria songs called Come On, Change. It's now time to send the work out to seek the ears of other human beings! With the tour postponed until next year now, I decided to redirect some energy into making some really beautiful physical things instead. There's nothing I love so much as the physicality of playing music in a room soaked in humanity but.... a handmade puzzle printed locally with the artwork of my friends could come pretty close!

This campaign was created to make it possible to print CDs and vinyl, as well as a limited edition run of 60 locally handmade Anactoria puzzles. The money raised will pay the artists, and cover most of the cost of printing. What this campaign means as well is that you, the supporter, will be hearing the album at least three months before it is 'released'. This makes me happy, because I imagine the music being received by you guys with warmer ears and a willingness to listen deeply. I'm so grateful for that small but so very sweet community of Anactoria fans, and if you're ready for something unlike anything you've heard before, then this album is not going to disappoint you.

As you may know, I've been working with two very amazing producers in Melbourne, Megan Bernard and Kalju Tonuma (MeJu), and over the last 2 years we have been steadily developing these songs together in an atmosphere of courageous creative exploration! When I met them in April 2019, I had very little studio experience, and about 12 songs that I thought were 'ready' to record. We did record most of those, but threw out more than half of them as new songs were written and the true character of the album became more apparent. Only the pure gold remains from those first sessions, with much of the material you will hear being recorded in January 2020 (when I still had smoke-inhalation symptoms changing the way I sang) and January 2021 (in a small covid-free window where I could travel to Melbourne). Megan and Kalju have freely (often by osmosis) shared their knowledge of production and the whole music-making process with me and in the last 2 years I have written and recorded more than 50 songs myself, which is an exponential increase in my creative output. All this to say, I'll ever be able to thank these two legends enough for the positive influence they have had on my life and work - but I will try! And getting this album into the ears of my community is a tangible way to put my gratitude into action.

SO! Here we are! This Pozible campaign ALSO means that I get to shout from the rooftops about the awesome creative work of not one, not two, not three, but four Bega Valley visual artists! When you support this project you're also supporting: 

• Cat Wilson, a brilliant photographer from Narooma who agreed on late notice to come traipsing around in the grass with me in Bega. We hadn't met before, and I'm sure neither of us knew exactly what we would come out with, but after some enjoyable traipsing and great conversation, this cover image appeared, and I think it really captures something about the focus of my songwriting. I'm interested in the in-the-moment process of change, which to me sometimes feels like being half-underground, half-emerged; not quite that anymore but not quite this yet; the in-betweenness of change. My theory is that if we can be brave and find integrity inside the inbetweenness, then whatever emerges from it will be richer. This album is my best efforts at putting that theory into practice.

• AEODE, or Erin Lynzaat, the multi-talented painter and electronic music producer who created the poster image (below) that comes along with the CD and Vinyl. You might remember AOEDE's painting which became the cover for the single 'Baseline'. Her way with colour and line, and how she makes cosmic imagery feel totally natural, has always fascinated me, and Erin herself is a personal inspiration for me when it comes to authenticity and courage. This artwork was created specially for the album, and it adds a-whole-nother dimension. 

• PuzzleMe, a small business in Pambula run by Barbara Moore. Barbara makes the most beautiful, high-quality, hand-pressed puzzles, right here in the Bega Valley! They are artfully crafted and specially boxed, by Barbara herself who can also tell you a whole lot about the restorative, mentally beneficial power of puzzling.

• Finally, a huge shout out to the phenomenal Andrew Robinson - one of his exquisite still images from the Good Mind video we shot last year (while the Valley was still in drought - those hills are rolling green now) will also become a puzzle! Thanks also Mica Mahani and Gabriela Barrios, who (literally) supported me so well.

Everything (except vinyl, that'll take a bit longer!) will be ready by late September. 

Jump on board if you can, and please share the news for us - in these weird and tricky covid times this campaign essentailly is the only way I have to let people know the album is finished. So please don't be shy, explore the Pozible page, share away, and then initiate conversations in public places about Anactoria's debut album Come On, Change and all the wonderful artists involved in the project.

PRINTING :

- CDs = $1708

- Unprinted Vinyl (including mastering) = $2200

PUZZLE production:

- 60 puzzles, cut and boxed = $600

ARTIST fees:

- AEODE = $300

- Cat Wilson = $300

TOTAL:  $5,108

***The first thing I will do if we go over the total amount is pay the visual artists a bit more! Up to an extra $100 each for Cat, Erin and Andrew. If we go over that I will be directing any excess into promotion for the release of the album, for which there is currently no budget.

(Just FYI, the production budget (this encompasses everything from the first recording session to final CD mastering) came in at $18,330. I did all of the graphic design myself (nearly killed me, but saved a good few hundred bucks). And of course there are literally countless unpaid hours that go into a project like this. I am very lucky to be working with producers  Megan Bernard and Kalju Tonuma who have gone above and beyond to get to the final sonic exprience that is Come On, Change.

Thanks so much for your support, it literally makes my life make sense. 

Love,

Tamlyn

aka Anactoria