Here it is guys! A live preview of “Murder Of The Day”- the first track from the new record we’re working on in Berlin. After 5 years of living on the road we’re ready to make the most important (and epic) album of our careers. We’re putting it all on the line and we’d love for you to be part of this with us.
Who are The Sunpilots?
Live at KAW (Photo: E&V Bohnenstengel)
The Sunpilots were born in a Sydney garage in 2006 and we’ve been totally independent ever since. In fact, one of the first things we did was start our own record label. Staying in control of our music has been at the core of everything we’ve done. The first 5 years were intense – we released our debut record Living Receiver and toured Australia relentlessly. We worked all day, put everything we earned into the band, and played all night… And we achieved some awesome things: national radio & TV airplay, Indie Album of the Year from from Aussie street press, an iTunes Single of the Week, a MusicOz award. Then some US & Canadian college radio DJs began spinning our songs and we landed Best International Artist at the Canadian Independent Music Awards and Single of the Year at the LA Independent Music Awards.
Life on the road
That got us thinking… Australia has a great rock scene but it’s isolated. We knew we had to start touring the US and Europe to really get out there. So in 2010 after recording our second album King of the Sugarcoated Tongues we bit the bullet, sold everything we owned, bought a one-way ticket out of Australia and began living on the road. We turned up jet lagged & clueless in Europe with nothing but our suitcases & enough savings to last a year. And no idea if we could make it work.
Live at Woodstock Festival, Poland
But thanks to your support, we did. Fast forward to 2016 and we’ve toured all over the USA, UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania… well, you get the idea! More stories than Spinal Tap and one hell of a ride.
What does “living on the road” mean?
Busking in Mauerpark, Berlin (Photo: Christoph Richter)
It means that unlike most indie bands who tour for a month or two and head home, we’ve been on the road for 5 years. For 6 months each year we tour & have no fixed home. We do around 4 gigs a week (our last US tour was 70 shows across 35 states in 90 days) and crash on fans’ couches. When we’re not touring, we play street music to pay our way. Instant noodles have become our best friend. It’s been tough, but we managed to pull off an incredible world tour and got our music out there in ways we never dreamed possible.
This is our most important record
We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved, but it’s time to take The Sunpilots to the next level. There’s an electric chemistry in the band after touring together for so long and that’s really coming through in the new songs. This is gonna be our best record yet – darker, heavier & straight from the heart. It’s about the things we’re most passionate and outspoken about, like equality and human rights. It’s a reflection of who we are as both musicians and people.
Busking in Mauerpark, Berlin (Photo: G2 Baraniak)
So this is what we’re gonna do… We’ve decided to do the writing in Berlin because it’s cheap, inspiring and has a great street music scene. We’re making enough from street music to cover our living expenses & the cost of a small rehearsal room for demoing.
Setting up the rehearsal room in Berlin
We need to raise enough to record, mix & master the album at an international level. We also need to cover flights, visas and transport for the tour after the album is released. Gigs will pay enough for food and fuel (and we’ll couch surf with you guys for accommodation) but they don’t cover much else. We want you to know exactly how your contribution will be used so we’ve broken down the budget below.
The last few years have been amazing for us & we’re on the edge of something big. Everything we’ve been working towards is finally coming together… So check out the awesome rewards we’ve got and see if any catch your eye. We’d love it if you chose to be part of making this record with us!
Other ways you can help
Spread the word! Independent music is all about word of mouth. If you can share this page on social media & send it people you know, it will be a huge help. By doing so you’re reaching places we would never be able to reach ourselves. Facebook, Twitter, personal emails, phone calls, even sending it to your favourite blog or radio station… it all makes a difference:
We need to raise $70,000 USD to cover the expenses below. There are several costs (like music videos) which we haven’t included. If we exceed our goal, that’s what the extra will go towards. We have a lot of experience making the most of limited budgets without taking any shortcuts. The success of this campaign will determine how amazing this record will become.
