THE STORY
I am Jana Varga - UK vocalist and singer songwriter. I sing about roots, identity and searching for home (among other things). My debut album ‘Foreigner Face’ (2022, co-produced by Fred Mollin (Billy Joel, Jimmy Webb's 10 Easy Pieces) was shortlisted in the ‘Best Emerging Artist’ category of the British Blues Awards and rated ‘One of the classiest records I’ve heard all year ‘ by BBC's Paul Sexton. Oh, and Janis Ian described it as ‘Amazingly beautiful’ !
As some of you know, I grew up in Slovakia and I have a classical music background. I have lived in France, almost became a flautist in Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Czechia, played flute in the US with a prog rock band and I also work as a backing vocalist for platinum selling artist Rumer. This March I am part of a fantastic project led by Stefan Redtenbacher and his Funkestra, celebrating the music of Joni Mitchell.
Since I started releasing music in 2019, I've worked and performed with a lot of brilliant musicians. But now it's time for me to do a solo record. In my core, I am a singer songwriter and creating songs is what I enjoy doing the most. I want to share the joy, that pure moment when a song materialises, out of the blue, where there was nothing just a minute ago. I'd love to share these as they were initially written - acoustic & intimate.
This is a special moment for me - I have been waiting for this album for a long time!
THEMES
The songs explore the innocence of childhood, sense of belonging, the beauty and pain of love and communication and the connection to our ancestors and how important they are in forming our own lives. Who knows, maybe you’ll recognise some of your life in it too...
RELEASE DATE
I aim to start releasing singles in June 2025, just ahead of my album launch on 1st July at PizzaExpress Holborn.
Tickets & info about the show - https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/jana-varga
WHERE WE'RE AT
I am pleased to say that the recording process is nearly finished and some of the songs are being mixed. One of the songs has been already released! It's called 'Wait For Me' - click to listen HERE
For an independent artist - there are a lot of costs associated with what comes next - the promotion. This is where your contribution is going to matter. To make sure that the album gets made and people get to hear it, I need to :
- hire a graphic designer
- place an order with CD/vinyl manufacturers
- run radio and press campaign to make sure my music gets to as many ears as possible !
I am so grateful for the support you showed me in the past and I would love to include you in making this record. I've decided to run this crowdfunding campaign by encouraging pre-orders of CDs and vinyl. You can also just make a one-off donation by clicking the 'donation' button. If you're interested in pre-orders and other rewards, please read on (or scroll through the column on the right hand side).
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
- One-Off Donation - donate an amount of your choice to support this record
REWARDS
- 2 Singles Digital Download £5 - sent out one week before release date
- Album Pre-Order (Digital) £10 - digital download of the album sent to you one week prior to release
- Album Pre-Order (CD) £18 - 1x Digipack CD (UK shipping included), Includes digital download. For shipping to EU or worldwide, please add £5 in the 'extra donation' box at the checkout.
- Album Pre-Order (Vinyl) £40 - (UK shipping included) signed copy of the album on 12 "vinyl, sent one week prior to release. Includes digital download. For EU/Worldwide shipping please add £10 into the 'extra donation' box at a checkout.
- Album Pre-Order (CD+Vinyl) £55 - (UK shipping included) Bundle of signed CD and Vinyl sent a week prior to release with a digital download included too! For EU/Worldwide shipping, please add £10 into the 'additional donation' box at the checkout.
- Handwritten Lyric Sheet £50 - signed lyric sheet of a song of your choice. Including the option to have a personalised message on the lyric sheet, e.g. ‘Happy Anniversary to…‘, ‘Merry Christmas’. - (unframed)
- Signed Chord Chart £50 - signed 'lead sheet'/ chord chart of one of my songs of your choice
- Personalised Performance Video £100 - I will record a personalised video performance of one of my songs or a cover of your choice. With a message (mentioning your name + a short message e.g. 'Have a lovely weekend ', 'Get well soon' or 'Merry Christmas', etc.
- Online Music Lesson £100 - one to one online singing/flute/piano/guitar lesson (cca 1 hour). This depends on your preference - whether you'd like to talk about techniques, songwriting or work on general craft.
- House Concert £800 - live performance (in a duo). Book me and my pianist/guitarist to come and play at your house* for you and your friends! Also includes your choice of digital download/CD and Vinyl.
*Subject to location, please send a message to [email protected] to enquire about concerts outside of London and surrounding areas.
HOW THE DONATIONS WILL BE SPENT*
* estimates based on quotes
CD manufacturing - £1300
Vinyl pressing - £1500
Graphic design - £300
Digital distribution - £120
Radio campaign for a single - £1200
These are some of the main activities needed to release my new album and I am truly excited about this project!
I'd like to send a big THANKS to you in advance.
Let's send this album off into the world together !
P.S. There will be updates and posts on social media and if you have any questions, please ask away in the discussion/comment tab on this website.
P.S.2 - If you haven't already, please sign up for my mailing list to receive updates about live shows, the crowdfunder and other news - SIGN UP
Thank you for listening. Take care, Jana X