Shepherdstown, WV (Top40 Charts/ Platinum PR) West Virginia bluegrass musicians Chelsea McBee & The
Random Assortment are launching a Kickstarter campaign to help raise over $3,000 in funds to complete their latest work, The Whiskey Album.
Chelsea McBee is a Shepherdstown, W.Va. native who has been filling the valleys and mountains of West Virginia with her down-home, soul-stirring tunes for years, but can also be found playing regional fairs, festival and special events throughout the East Coast. She describes her music as "whiskey-infused, bluegrass folk."
Kickstarter is an online crowd-sourcing platform that connects independent artists with people who want to support projects by providing monetary donations. Monies raised for Chelsea McBee's Kickstarter campaign will be used to help fund recording and mastering expenses, album art, reproduction and a public relations campaign.
"It's really important to us to support the local economy. Our music is our passion. By supporting this Kickstarter campaign, we will be able to hire local, talented professionals to master the songs, design the album art, produce the final product and to promote it," says McBee.
Individuals who pledge money to support the creation of The Whiskey Album receive pledge rewards based on the amount of the pledge. Rewards include digital downloads, a physical copy of The Whiskey Album CD, hand-embroidered tote bag, and t-shirts. Individuals who provide larger pledges will earn rewards such as a personal concert from Chelsea McBee and The
Random Assortment or a day to spend with Chelsea McBee.
McBee's music is influenced by old-time West Virginia banjo tunes as well artists such as Gillian Welch,
Anais Mitchell
Feist and Bonnie Rait. McBee began playing the claw-hammer banjo in 2005, but The
Random Assortment wasn't formed until 2011. McBee is joined by Ben Witman on mandolin, Jeremy Rodgers on upright bass and are occasionally joined by McBee's mother, Teresa McBee, and McBee's sister,
Melody Massimino. Her down-home roots music is often classified as folk, Americana, bluegrass, newgrass and jazzgrass.
Her latest album, which the Kickstarter campaign will support, features cover songs as well as an assortment of original tunes. "All the band members share a love of rye whiskey and writing music, which has resulted in an album with an underlying whiskey theme, which is why we called it The Whiskey Album," says McBee. It's a great collection of songs, and a great album. We can't wait to share with the world," says McBee.
Upcoming shows include the Shepherdstown Farm Market on August 11, 2013, Taste of
Highland Dinner on August 16, 2013 in Monterey, Va., Cross Keys Vineyard on August 18, 2013 in Crawford, Va., and the Winchester Book Gallery on August 23, 2013 in Winchester, Va.
If you'd like to support the Kickstarter campaign of Chelsea McBee and The
Random Assortment , please visit https://www.kickstarter.com . For more information about Chelsea McBee and The
Random Assortment, visit https://www.ChelseaMcBee.com .
