A message from Duke

 

As Duke Special I have been touring and making records constantly for the last 14 years and during that time, the music industry has changed beyond recognition.  Over those years I have self-released records, been on major labels, smaller independent labels and have also used crowd funding models to release my work. 

I have loved all these different stages of my career but feel it is time to do things a little differently.  I have used the Pledge Music model a couple of times to release records and was blown away by the support and encouragement which those campaigns created.  This was a model in which people pledged different amounts in exchange for exclusive experiences and items all with the goal of being able to bring out a new record at a high level and to do all the things such as promotion, radio and TV plugging, manufacturing etc. which a record label traditionally did.  For the most part this worked great although these campaigns were concerned with a particular release.

 

So, here’s the new idea....

 

I am asking if you would become a patron of Duke Special.  Not for a particular one-off release or project but rather on an on-going basis.  The concept is similar to the crowd funding things I have done before: you choose a price point which suits you and in exchange you WILL get access to exclusive items, recordings or experiences.  The difference this time is that it would be on a monthly on-going basis.  I am really keen to write a lot more, make recordings and be based in Belfast a lot more so the aim is that this would enable me to be more creative from home.

I want to release more records and continue to do limited amount of touring, but this new idea feels like a better fit for where I am in my life.

 

I am hugely grateful that you would consider being a Duke Special patron.  I am very excited about what this collaboration will create.

 

Thank you.

 

Duke Special x