Greenness Crowdfunder

Hello! Thank you so much for being here with us.

We are Greenness, an independent music duo based in Brighton. Together we make songs, artwork and videos that celebrate a deeper connection with nature and each other. Since we met a decade ago, we have performed hundreds of gigs, written many original songs and released two 4-track EPs – ‘Bicephaly’ (2016) and ‘Cyclicity’ (2018) – both of which are available here for free.

SUNROOMS - The Album

Our dream has always been to create a full-length album together, release it into the world and go on a big tour!

In the wake of Covid-19, all our gigs got cancelled, so we had to stop performing live. As a consequence, we decided to focus our time and energy on writing, arranging, recording and mixing/mastering our 11-track debut album Sunrooms entirely independently in our home studio, using an eclectic collection of instruments (guitars, synths, bass, kalimba, lap harp, ocarina, drums, percussion...), electronic beats, household objects, field recordings, sound effects and our voices to create a truly unique, bold and inventive musical experience.

This is our most ambitious work to date and we are over the moon to bring it to you!

GREENNESS - The Band

Cess: "I’ve always had a creative mindset. As I child, writing songs, stories and poems was my favourite thing to do, as well as drawing, reading, and a lot of daydreaming! In primary school, I had piano lessons and sang in the choir, then in college I started singing in bands and learning guitar and bass. When I was 20, I left my home in France to study English at a university near Manchester, where I met Graham... and the rest is history! Spending the last decade growing this project together has been incredible, and I am so excited to begin the next chapter of our story. Music is my therapy, it has carried me through thick and thin, and Greenness is the most important creative project of my life. Graham and I have put our hearts and souls into this record, infusing each and every song with a much-needed sense of hope, inspiration, honesty and humanity."

Graham: "As a teenager, I taught myself guitar and music production simultaneously. I also tried singing and creating harmonies, but got on much better with layering instrumental tracks, so I thought I would need to collaborate with a great lead vocalist and moved to Manchester to look for one. I played in a few bands there, but couldn't keep one together very long... until Cess arrived on the scene. As soon as I heard her voice, I knew! We had very different musical styles to begin with, so we started slowly, getting to know each other and experimenting a lot before the Greenness sound emerged. We have spent the past 3 years meticulously arranging, crafting and producing our debut album 'Sunrooms' from our home studio. This record is very much a labour of love, and even though most of the songs were written recently, it is, in a sense, a lifetime's work condensed into 40 minutes!"

What We’re Fundraising For

We are raising £5,000 to cover the costs of releasing our album independently. This is how the money will be spent:

Why It Matters

As a band, we have been fully committed to create mindful, sustainable art from day 1 – that’s also why we chose the name ‘Greenness’! We value quality over quantity, and we believe in the creation of unique, carefully crafted art that is designed to last.

Unfortunately, the mainstream music industry is set up in a way that doesn't embrace these values. To do well on streaming platforms and radio, songs have to be calibrated to a certain format that is designed to capture short-attention spans (eg tracks of less than 3 minutes long, no intros, placing the hook right at the beginning with little to no build up, etc.). 

We think that this cookie-cutter approach to music hampers creativity, inspiration and innovation. It also puts enormous pressure on artists to release songs and content more and more often, generating a bulk of 'throwaway' tracks and videos that are designed to compete in a consumerist race rather than making a true artistic statement.

Creating meaningful art takes time, and we have been working on our album for over two years. This used to be the norm! Because that's how long it takes to write, arrange, record, mix and master a solid collection of songs, as well as planning the release, creating visual assets and, in our case, organising regular shows, performing live and handling all bookings and promotion ourselves, as well as working side-jobs to earn a living and invest in our home studio. This album launch will help us kickstart our music career, so that we can dedicate more time to the creation of songs, artwork, videos, merch and events the DIY way without comprimising on our core values. Our goal is to build a system that enables the sustainable creation of independent art via our own label One Fern Records, and we feel immensely grateful to have your support on this journey!

Frequently Asked Questions

• When are you releasing the album?

From January 2021, we will drop one song every month on Youtube for one year, with a music video for each track, meaning that supporters of this Crowdfunder will be able to watch the whole record as a secret video playlist by the end of December 2021... and all tracks of 'Sunrooms' will also be given as a reward ahead of the official release in high-quality WAV, so you will be the first to hear it! This campaign also gives you access to exclusive perks that aren't available anywhere else, such as signed CDs/vinyl, unique merch and your name displayed on the album's liner notes (limited to higher tier early supporters). The official release date to the general public is 20th May 2022 and we'll also put out singles, b-sides and remixes ahead of this!

• Will there be a launch party?

Yes! We are planning to organise a big release show as soon as live music events can resume fully & safely, and hopefully a European tour as well. We also have a livestream video showcasing the full album performed on stage with our backing band in a beautiful church. Have a look at our listings to catch us at a gig near you!

• Why are you focusing on physical records & merchandising?

Currently, there are three main avenues for performing & recording artists to make a living from their songs: touring, streaming, and selling merch. As touring has been haltered by the global pandemic, this isn't a viable option at the moment (although we hope it will return soon!). With streaming, it's incredibly hard to make a living from those royalties alone. An unsigned, solo singer-songwriter would need to generate close to half a million streams every month on Spotify to earn the equivalent of the UK minimum wage! 

Selling physical merchandise is therefore the best remaining option. 

That's why we have decided to focus this crowdfunding campaign on creating high quality, eco-friendly limited edition records and merch that truly reflect our creative vision (and make lovely rewards for you!).

Rewards

We have partnered with the greenest manufacturers we could find to create beautiful and durable rewards: paper stickers, wooden badges sourced from responsibly managed European forests, organic apparel printed in the UK and CDs & vinyl pressed locally and packaged in recycled card sleeves. This is part of our commitment towards a greener future for the music industry, as outlined by the 'Music Declares Emergency' initiative that we joined in 2019. Feel free to take a look at the full organic collection designed by Cess here and watch the Rewards video below:

Reviews

Additional reviews are available on our official website.

Testimonials

Thank you so much for believing in our project! 

We can't wait to share it with you! <3

Lots of love,

Cess & Graham

Photo credits: Ian Bourn / Tiia Kukkonen