Bring Blues Matters back to print: Annual 2027

Aim

Fund a one-off printed Blues Matters Annual, bringing together the best cover stories, interviews and features from the past 12 months.

A proper Blues Matters magazine, back in your hands

Blues Matters has been celebrating blues music and the artists who make it for more than 25 years.

Today, the magazine is published digitally and remains free to read. But we also know there is still something special about sitting down with a proper magazine, turning the pages and keeping it on the shelf when you are finished.

So, for 2027, we want to bring Blues Matters back to print for one special edition.

The Blues Matters Annual 2027 will be an 80-page printed collection featuring some of the strongest cover stories, interviews and features from the past 12 months, brought together in one carefully designed annual.

This is not simply a printed version of one of our digital issues. We will be going back through the last year of Blues Matters and selecting the very best material to create something that stands on its own.

What will be inside?

The annual will bring together a selection of our best recent content, including:

• Major Blues Matters cover stories
• In-depth artist interviews
• Features from across the blues world
• Reviews and recommendations
• Live and artist photography
• Highlights from another year of blues music

The finished annual will run to approximately 80 pages, printed on quality stock with a matt laminated cover.

Something to read, keep, collect and come back to.

And, with Christmas approaching, we think it could make a pretty good present for the blues-loving dad, grandad, partner or music fan who is notoriously difficult to buy for.

Why are we crowdfunding it?

Printing a magazine is very different from publishing one online.

Rather than take the financial risk of producing hundreds of copies and hoping they sell, we want the readers to decide whether the Blues Matters Annual happens.

The project is based around an initial print run of 350 copies.

Our crowdfunding target is £7,000.

If we hit that target, we go to print.

Your pledge is effectively your pre-order, while also helping make the whole project possible.

Where will the money go?

The money raised will cover the cost of producing and delivering the annual, including:

• Printing the first run of the Blues Matters Annual
• Design and artwork
• Crowdfunder setup and campaign graphics
• Promotion and social media campaign
• Packaging and UK postage
• Crowdfunder and payment fees
• Production and fulfilment of T-shirt rewards

If we go beyond our target, even better. It gives us the opportunity to print more copies, reach more blues fans and make the annual an even greater success.

Choose your reward

£20 - Blues Matters Annual

Get your copy of the limited-edition printed Blues Matters Annual 2027, delivered to your door.

£35 - Annual + exclusive T-shirt

Get the printed Blues Matters Annual 2027, plus an exclusive Blues Matters T-shirt produced for the campaign.

£50 - Blues Matters Supporter

Get the annual, the exclusive campaign T-shirt and have your name printed inside the magazine on our special You Made This Happen supporters page.

It is our way of recognising the people who gave the project that little bit of extra backing.

You can help make it happen

If you have followed Blues Matters for years, discovered us recently, or simply want to support a magazine dedicated to keeping blues music in front of new audiences, we would love you to be part of this.

Back the annual, choose your reward and help us put Blues Matters back into print for one very special edition.

UK delivery only

At present, physical rewards can only be posted to UK addresses. Unfortunately, current international postage costs make overseas fulfilment impractical for this campaign.

Funding method

All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £7,000 by 4th November 2026 at 12:00pm