There are exactly 5 days left to join Sellaband Band Contest 2013 as a supporter. About one week ago I introduced Hogan from Ireland. And here is the second band in the contest, being in the lead at the moment - most of you may have heard of the Broadway Killers already. If you like their music and want them to tour Germany next year don't hesitate and get them some support...

50K MUSIC: Sellaband has just started the Band Contest 2013. How come that you joined it?
Broadway Killers: In fact it started a while ago, but I forgot to answer your mail :) Anyway, let’s just say that we had a really good experience funding our debut album through Sellaband. Mainly that is why we thought this competition could be fun. Also we thought and still we think that we can beat the other two bands. We have the best community of people supporting us.

50K MUSIC: You're old hands in crowdfunding business. Do you think you have some sort of advantage?
Broadway Killers: Well, I think we have some experience at least and maybe that could be an advantage. But the main thing we have is our community which just supports us any time we ask for it. Just a note on this: In fact we were about to cancel our May tour because a promoter made a very late cancellation of a gig. We told people this on facebook but then one fan saved our entire May tour by buying an acoustic concert through the Sellaband Contest. Ain’t that f**kin’ cool, huh!!?

Quite accurate 2 weeks left to support your favourite band on Sellaband Band Contest 2013. Here is the first interview with Hogan. They're one of the competitors. There's no time to lose to help them win the competition. Because there will be only one!

50K MUSIC: Sellaband has just started the Band Contest 2013. How come that you joined it?
Hogan: We felt that this was a great idea and would be a great platform to use for the bands growth. We also felt that it's a great way for fans to really be a part of the band and show that they really can make a difference and help a band to their goal.

50K MUSIC: Is this your first crowdfunding experience?
Hogan: Yes, this is our very first time doing a project like this. And we're really enjoying it.

He has just reached his goal with his Musicraiser project but you can still support Nate Maingard there. Hailing from South Africa now living in London he's still raising funds to record a 4 track EP. I talked to him about his project and what he plans for the next few months ...

50K MUSIC: Who is Nate Maingard? Please tell us something about you. Where do you come from, what are your roots?
Nate: My roots are deeply set in the mountains and ocean of Cape Town, South Africa. I was born in a little village, where my early days were spent running around barefoot in the wild Southern tip of Africa. My father is a lifelong musician and one of the world's top guitar makers (http://maingardguitars.com). Those early days shaped my views on life, that people are more important than money, and life is for the living, not for the hoarding.

50K MUSIC: Once someone said about you: "Maingard writes protest songs for lovers and love songs for rebels". What did A.Weickl mean with these words?
Nate: I can't speak for her, but what I feel about it is that my songs are about celebrating love and the challenges of life in a more authentic way than is commonly presented by mass media pop music. My music inspires thought while also moving your heart to feel. So, I guess it's music for authentic romantics :). As George Orwell said: "In these times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." I aim to be a revolutionary in that sense.

50K MUSIC: You've almost reached your goal on Musicraiser. Why did you choose this platform, there are a number of others nowadays?
Nate: I chose Musicraiser because I like the way they operate, I enjoy their hands-on approach. They've been very helpful and supportive every step of the way. They actually approached me initially, and I'm glad they did.

Delaney Gibson should be more than happy with how her Pledgemusic project goes, and she is. She has raised more than 130% of her goal for her upcoming album "Tall Like The Tree". I talked to her about the funding and her plans ...

50K MUSIC: In your Pledgemusic pitch video you call for money. What will you use all the money for?
Delaney: Making a record costs a lot of money! I'll have to pay for a Producer, musicians, recording, mastering, photography, artwork, music videos, radio promotion, publicity, and tour support.

50K MUSIC: I guess you're happy with how the project has developed so far?
Delaney: I am, the record has been finished since last year. We've had to push back the release date in hopes to raise more money for promotion. I cannot wait until we can release this. It really is my best work to date.

Everyone who has listened to latest edition of The Justin Wayne Show will have noticed the interview with Amycanbe's Francesca. Justin Wayne, extremely committed to the spirit of Indie Music, is the radio host and broadcaster of his own radio show.

A few weeks ago he has discovered the music of Amycanbe, he said when he opened the interview and introduced Amycanbe and especially Francesca. She talked about where Amycanbe come from, their 2011 five song EP "The World Is Round" based on Gertrude Stein's first book for children and the collaboration with a painter who created the special drawings for a small book that came out with the EP.

Then Justin and Francesca talked about Amycanbe's engagement for Amnesty International. "It took us about two years to actually have it and finished to record it", Francesca said about the "Mountain Whales" album and this was the time, when William Poni connected them with AI. "It just happened when the album was out like a parallel process", Francesca explained.

If you want to listen to Bavarian folk music in a new way you definitely won't get around LischKapelle. They've created Bavaro Indie Pop and are still raising funds for their debut album on Sellaband. If you want to be a part of it you'll have to hurry - only a few parts left there. I talked to them about the crowdfunding, how they got together and their plans for the album ...

50K MUSIC: You're raising funds on Sellaband since the beginning of December. I guess you're happy with the progress so far?
LischKapelle: Of course! We are really overwhelmed how much money we already have together...our dream will soon come true.

50K MUSIC: How did you find the way to Sellaband?
LischKapelle: In Summer 2012 we won the House of Music Bandcontest in Munich. Sellaband was one of the sponsores there and supported the winner with 500 € for a crowdfunding project on Sellaband.

After they successfully funded their last EP and tour through the support of 55 Pledgers back in 2011 AM & Shawn Lee are back with a new project on Pledgemusic. I talked to them about the crowdfunding campaign and all the things they are currently busy with ...

50K MUSIC: Actually AM and Shawn Lee are solo artists and "AM & Shawn Lee" is the name of this band collaboration. How did you get together?
AM: I heard Shawn's music on the radio here in LA. I emailed him and we started a bond over obscure 70's library and film music...eventually it made sense to make a record together.

50K MUSIC: Your current Pledegemusic project is the second of that kind. What is it about?
AM: I'm a fan of Pledge. You're laying it all on the table and seeing who's ready to go to bat for you.

50K MUSIC: So you like the idea of crowdfunding your music?
AM: Yes, it's pro-active. You can move forward or wait for a record company to write you a check...but it happens less and less these days.

Usually Michael Simon (known as Simon) is a full-time member of German Medieval Rock/Folk Metal band Subway To Sally. But lately he started his side project Equinoxx and is raising funds for producing a solo album on Pledgemusic now. I talked to him about his experience of crowdfunding, the project and the solo album ...

50K MUSIC: Usually you're a part of Subway To Sally. How come you started your solo project Equinoxx?
Simon: For the latest Subway to Sally production "Schwarz in Schwarz" I wrote more songs than actually went on the album. And as I liked all those ideas very much and thought they were just too good to gather dust somewhere in my computer, I found I could do something solo.

50K MUSIC: You're raising funds for your debut album on Pledgemusic at the moment. Why did you choose Pledge?
Simon: I see Equinoxx as a project with which I want to tread on new paths. This includes new ways of producing music and funding just those productions. I wanted to do without funding schemes like record companies and so I chose PledgeMusic. I find the closeness to the people supporting me very invigorating and refreshing.

50K MUSIC: How do you experience crowdfunding your music?
Simon: Exciting. You never know what you'll get.

... is definitely what they stand for. Hailing from England's east the Burning Crows are rocking Pledgemusic at the moment. It's still time to pledge for their debut album coming out in May. I talked to the guys about the Pledgemusic project and what else is going to happen in the next few months...

50K MUSIC: Who are The Burning Crows? Where do you come from? Please tell us something about the band.
BC: Hey Mario! We're Whippz, Lance, Will & Chris, The Burning Crows! Good time Rock n' Roll band from the Far East... of England. We've been playing up and down the country for around 3 years now, released our debut EP, completed our second full tour of the UK and Ireland and are about to return to the studio to record our debut album "Behind The Veil", after successfully reasoning more than 100% on PledgeMusic.com.

I really have to make my amends for not featuring Ophelia Syndrome earlier. They've completed their first funding on Sellaband back in November 2010. Now the band is running their third project on the platform. I talked to Deanna Wells about it and why they feel at home on Sellaband ...

50K MUSIC: You've started your current Sellaband project in November last year. Are you happy with how it goes so far?
Deanna: Yes, we really are very happy! It is such a wonderful thing to know that we have people who are willing to pre-order our new album before it is even recorded. We have been so overwhelmed by the support that we have thus far, and we thank every single believer that we have for supporting us.