Target reached!
Raising £1000 means we'll be able to pay for all of the rewards and launch party. We...
Help Us Finish Our Most Ambitious Album
Sunderland, United Kingdom
Aim
AO's new album of ambitious pop is almost finished - but we need your help to complete it and give it the proper release it deserves.
What’s the project?
North East weird-pop ensemble Amateur Ornithologist are raising money to complete the recording of our fourth album. Your support will help give the album the release it deserves, with a promotional campaign of PR, photos, videos, and a launch party.
You can hear the our latest singles and all of our previous releases to get an idea of the album.
We're building on the development started with our previous albums Birdwatching, Building the Bird and Hide, introducing new instruments and collaborations, new band members and a different approach to recording the material.
We’ll release the album on streaming sites, and as a CD and digital download. Backers can choose from a range of exclusive rewards, and will receive the album before its general release, as well as other bonus goodies if we hit our target and stretch targets.
The video for our latest single Winter Sun by Andy Simpson
Why do we need your support?
The UK arts sector is struggling, impacting grassroots artists and venues most of all. It’s harder for venues to offer guaranteed fees for artists, income from streaming services is non-existent, and independent record labels can’t support as many artists as they might have in the past.
A number of AO members are neurodivergent (autism, ADHD, dyspraxia), disabled and/or have long-term health conditions. Some of the band work in insecure roles or are in receipt of benefits. This can make maintaining jobs and saving money difficult.
We strive to create albums showing real development from one to the next. Our music combines pop, orchestral, punk and jazz instrumentation, and lush harmonies. Recording strings, woodwind, brass, acoustic drums and vocals and weaving them together requires investment in players, engineers and spaces.
We've used all the income we’ve made during a year of regular gigging to get almost everything recorded for twelve new songs, but we won’t be able to get these tracks finished and released in the way they deserve without your help.
Amateur Ornithologist's viola player and singer Maddie tells you about the new album
How will this project help?
Working on the album has already had huge mental health benefits - encouraging everyone to express themselves, share their interests, collaborate, visit new places and socialise with new people.
Working as a group in Harbourmaster’s supportive studio and the other spaces we’re working has helped to develop recording and production skills, setting us up to offer our services to other artists and making our music-making more sustainable for the future.
Developing the album and seeing the project to completion will be a huge help with our self-confidence and provide new work to help the band when applying for gig and festival opportunities, and support band members in their individual careers.
The wider North East music sector also benefits - from the spaces we’ve hired to the musicians we’ve worked with to those we’ll employ to support with completion and release of the album.
With enough support, we’ll be able to give this album a release that includes photoshoots, music videos, online videos, a website and press/publicity professionals. This will hopefully help reach more people with our music than ever.
Marianne - AO's cellist and saxophonist - talks about the band and her favourite songs on the new album
Why not wait until the album is finished?
Without your support, it’s not clear when we’ll have enough money to finish the album. And even when it’s finished, we won’t have enough to do the type of promotional campaign that might connect the album with a bigger audience. You’ll help grassroots artists complete a new body of work - and get exclusive rewards in return.
We'll make you feel part of the project with photos and progress reports, and more bonus rewards if we meet our target and stretch targets. But if that isn’t enough, you can visit the studio and even feature on the album or one of our music videos.
We’ll share the album with backers before the official release - sending out CD copies and digital download codes as soon as they’re ready. We’re recording 12 songs and even if only 9 or 10 end up on the finished album, you’ll still get digital access to all 12 songs. And most rewards are either exclusive to Crowdfunder or cheaper than they’ll be when the album is on general release.
We’ll host a launch party at Pop Recs in Sunderland on Saturday 16th May and perform songs from the new album. You can even get us to put on a special concert for you and your guests - an acoustic gig in your living room, a lunchtime concert for your workmates or a show for your clients.
Daniel, the founder of the band, talks about the difference between this album and the other AO collections
How can you trust us with your money?
We’ve already successfully completed one Crowdfunding campaign and fulfilled all of the rewards. The bonus rewards, launch party and the album itself were all praised by our funders and we made sure everyone knew what was going on throughout the project.
Daniel has managed arts and education projects for over 20 years for local, regional and national organisations. He has worked in a range of art forms and delivered film screenings, gigs and a festival for emerging artists.
We’ve released three albums on low budgets and have already used income from our gigs to get twelve songs almost to completion. We’re working with Harbourmaster, ensuring a professional product.
On top of their musical prowess, AO’s line-up brings sound recording, photography, filmmaking, graphic design, and visual art skills to the project.
Amateur Ornithologist's guitarist Giovanni tells you about what the band means to him
What can you expect from the album?
The album is fully written and arranged, with 12 songs that span everything from delicate psychedelic ballads to gothic punk stompers.
Influences on the songwriting include Kate Bush, David Bowie and Peter Garbiel, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Echo and the Bunnymen and Wire, Art Garfunkel, Noel Harrison and Skeeter Davis.
With lyrics referencing cult BBC spoof Ghostwatch, the phenomenon of pareidolia, sledging on Cleadon Hills, and the experience of living as autistic.
What will this Crowdfunder pay for?
We don’t make any individual profits from the band, putting all of the money we make into equipment, promo materials and recording.
So any money we make from this campaign will help us to pay for…
- Recording time with Harbourmaster at his studio
- Mixing and mastering of the finished recordings
- CD duplication
- Creating Crowdfunder rewards
- Making music videos,
- Venue hire and support act fees for the album launch party
- Crowdfunder fees and reward postage
Successfully raising £500 means we'll be able to finish the album.
Raising £1000 means we'll be able to pay for all of the rewards and launch party. We'll add an exclusive Listening Party to the rewards every backer receives, plus access to an exclusive EP of demos and alternative versions.
At £2000 we'll be able to make all the music videos and photoshoots needed, and we'll have money to do some proper promotion for first time. We'll add a zine to all physical and digital reward backers.
Collaborations
The new songs feature fantastic performances from everyone in Amateur Ornithologist, but are also enriched by contributions from some of the finest musicians in the North East music scene.
We were really pleased to work with our friend Nick Pierce (Staithe), who plays some beautiful electric violin on five songs. The highlight of our year has been performing at Durham Brass Festival, and two of the musicians who were key to that show appear on these songs - Craig Hissett (Small Town Brass) plays apocalyptic trombones on a track, while Abigail Brierley (Nu Sound Brass) plays trumpet on three songs, including some fantastic improvisations. Newcastle-based Polish singer-songwriter Aleksandra Karpiuk plays a lovely flute part on one song. Rick Matthews, who you might have seen perform with us this year, plays guitar and keys on almost every song.
Praise for Amateur Ornithologist last album, Hide
“an essential album to listen to whole and in one word, magnificent” - I Don’t Hear A Single
“a vast leap in both sound and composition” - NARC. Magazine
“finely crafted arrangements luscious enough to sink your teeth into” - NE Volume
“an album that should not be missing in any good collection” - Nene’s Butler
“a testament to Amateur Ornithologist’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation” - Musikepool
Who are Amateur Ornithologist?
Amateur Ornithologist is a weird pop ensemble from North East England. AO perform with anything from four to seven musicians playing a mix of pop and orchestral instruments.
The band have earned comparisons to Talking Heads, The Beach Boys and Prefab Sprout due to their adventurous approach to densely-layered, harmony-filled pop.
The band focus on crafting captivating songs inspired by the everyday weird of neurodivergent lives to the uncanny of Victorian fiction. But the ability to translate these into enchanting live shows complete with costumes and stage dressing is what sets AO apart.
Amateur Ornithologist have released three albums, were chosen to play Durham Brass Festival 2025 from hundreds of applications, have been on the cover of NARC Magazine, had videos screened at Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, played sold-out shows and festivals including Marrapalooza, Last Train Home and Summer Streets, and received radio play from BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, and a host of radio stations.
Daniel Clifford (vocals) is the lead songwriter of group and co-produced Hide with Harbourmaster. He has worked across art forms, creating work in film, comic books and for the stage. He has mentored emerging artists, and currently supports neurodivergent business owners and artists.
Maddie Smyth (viola, vocals) is a founding member of AO playing on two previous albums. She has released two solo EPs of experimental electro and string-infused pop, had a film screened at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and played Stockton Calling.
Chris Perriman (bass, keys) is a founding member of AO playing on Hide and co-writing some of the songs for the new album. He previously released two albums with Baker Island, headlining Evolution Emerging Festival and touring the UK with the band.
Gio Onofri (guitars) narrowly missed out on contributing to Hide, but joined in time to play at the album launch party. Despite playing in bands for most of his life, this will be Gio’s first time completing an album.
Marianne Kell (cello, sax) joined AO after recording some beautiful cello performances on three of Hide’s songs. She also plays in literate art-rockers Belle Skies.
Dan Humble (drums, percussion) is a veteran of the indie music scene, playing on a track for the legendary Shifty Disco singles club. He currently splits his time between AO, Compression Session and Machine Music, and supports other musicians through Gig Up North and occasional writing for Dirge.
Thanks for reading! We hope you support our project and spread the word to your friends and contacts. Message us on social media if you have questions.
This project successfully funded on 7th December 2025