<p><em>maybe this photo by Cara Robbins will be the cover for our new live album.</em></p>
<p>Hello special people. We are so very grateful for all the generosity that you all have exhibited toward us at our <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/271766523/bowerbirds-new-album-and-side-project-made-in-diy" target="_blank">Kickstarter project page to record our new album</a>. We are simply blown away. <strong> We had no idea that we would even make our goal, let alone surpass our goal before our end date. </strong></p>
<p>In all honesty, we had set our goal slightly lower than we had needed to finish our ‘dream studio’ and record our 'dream albums’ because we thought it would be very difficult to make our original goal in the first place and every bit helps. But, because of so many people’s generosity, we will be able to spend some more money on the items we need to really make our studio reach 'dream’ status and in turn make the quality of our next albums that much better. Thank you.</p>
<p>Quality recording studio gear is SO expensive. It’s ridiculous, really, but worth it. There are a few items that we have had our eye on that we will still not fit in our budget even after surpassing our original goal (better converters/better preamps/ribbon mics). <strong>Which is why we have a new deal that we would like to propose. </strong></p>
<p>We have some multi-tracked live recordings from one of our last shows from Space Gallery in Chicago and some board recordings from our last show at the Cat’s Cradle in NC that we are particularly fond of. By the end of our tour cycle, we had arranged some the songs drastically different from the albums, using synths and a lot of cello. We really loved playing these songs live and would love to share them.</p>
<p><strong>We would like to offer a new Live Bowerbirds album for you. </strong></p>
<p>We had planned to get this live album together eventually, but because of your wonderful response to our <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/271766523/bowerbirds-new-album-and-side-project-made-in-diy" target="_blank">Kickstarter project</a>, we have decided to include it as a limited addition release via kickstarter. For those of you who have already purchased a future album(s) from us, this will be something that you will be able to get before those albums.</p>
<p>We’ll be mixing down the live album soon and be ready to send it out in early spring 2013. There are options to download it for $10, or to order as a limited-edition handmade CD for $25. You can also add $10 for a download, or $25 for a CD, to any other order if you’ve already backed the project, or if you would like to also select another reward as well as the live album. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/271766523/bowerbirds-new-album-and-side-project-made-in-diy" target="_blank">Go here to order now.</a></p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help so far. It has meant the world. <strong> If you can let people know of our new live album or of <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/271766523/bowerbirds-new-album-and-side-project-made-in-diy" target="_blank">our Kickstarter project</a> in general, that will also help immensely as it already has. XO.</strong></p>