Emily-Rose Sarkova

Chaika is a group of six musicians, each with our own rich personal musical history and experience.
In this group, our love for the different cultural inflections of balkan, eastern and european music is mixed with jazz improvisations, folk simplicities and classical complexities. Whilst working together to create our own musical language, our sound has become something very specific yet all encompassing. It has been described as cinematic, deeply touching and meditative, as well as exuberant, virtuosic and uplifting.

When Chaika recorded their first album, we were a quartet. On the album we were briefly joined by two special guests who would later become very important permanent members. The first album was mostly calm and reflective and had some wonderful reviews, however now that we have grown so much together over the last few years, we feel we have so much more to offer our wonderful listeners and also to encourage the interest of a wider audience and more enthusiasm from festivals and music venues both in Australia and overseas.

Like many musicians, we have been, up to now, entirely self funded and it's hit that point where we need to reach out and ask our listeners, friends and fans to help us gain more momentum with this project. We have the drive and the passion, it's that simple thing now of needing the funds.

The funds will be used both for producing the album and then touring it to our Australian audiences (and hopefully reaching further afield too with online media).

Album costs include:

Studio hire of Studios 301 for 2 full days and piano tune
Hire of sound engineer Bob Scott
2 days of mixing and mastering
Design and photography for the album by Shay Tobin
Reproduction and printing by MADCDs

Tour costs include:

Transport costs (van hire/petrol)
Venue hire
Tour management
PR
Video recording for pre-tour promotion by Feras Shaheen
Poster printing
Online/Radio advertising
and of course ... the feeding of hungry musicians whilst on tour! - Just kiddin'.... we'll cover that ;)

Obstacles could include running out of studio time, having car trouble on the tour, disagreeing on cover art, not quite making what we would like to on the tour ...

And solutions? Our solution will always be communication. First and foremost we are great friends who talk to one another and strive to understand one another's visions, opinions, fears ... whatever it may be. Between the six of us we have a very wide skill set which relates not only to music but to things like management, sound and lighting design, teaching, meditation, cooking and problem solving. We always plan very well together and remain committed. We have had wide experience now in recording and touring and these experiences are now big assets to this project.