Erin McKeown Gets Cabin Fever in July

photo by jeff wasilko

We at FMC are always psyched when we hear about artists making DIY work for them. Although you can’t paint with one brush when it comes to musicians — many have wonderful relationships with their labels — it’s clear that today’s performers don’t need big-time backing to make a record and get it out there. And they're also getting way creative with marketing, as we point out in our recent post about Josh Freese and Jill Sobule.

Now, singer-songwriter Erin McKeown (who kicked ass at our most recent Artist Activism Camp and “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home” concert in New Orleans) is drumming up fan support to get her next record in the can and straight to her fans.

McKeown already has six albums and two EPs under her belt and has worked with über-respected artists like Ani DiFranco and Andrew Bird. For her next round of awesomeness, she’s offering fans the opportunity to watch a series of live internet concerts beginning this July called “Cabin Fever.”

The performances — which will include acoustic numbers, cover songs and an interactive, all-request electric set — will be broadcast from random places in and around Erin’s house. You know, hip venues like her living room, front porch and tour van! Proceeds from the project will go to the recording and release of her upcoming album, Hundreds of Lions, which is expected to drop later this year.

We wish Erin the best with what we think is a really cool idea. We’re also guessing that we’ll be seeing lots more of this kind of grassroots innovation from artists. That is, as long as net neutrality is preserved so that musicians have a direct connection to fans. For more information on Erin McKeown and the “Cabin Fever” project, check out her website. To learn more about how important the open internet is to artists, visit our Rock the Net page.