The Dear Hunter

With music marketing transforming and bands looking for new ways to make money, Boston's The Dear Hunter, who released their most recent album Act III: Life and Death in June of 2009, has taken this approach:


After touring throughout most of 2009, the band has now been working on what they call the "Limited edition Lifetime Fan Club Package." Despite the somewhat cheesy name, the package is pretty sweet. They made 250 copies of it, all of which have now sold for $125 each.

Here's a look at the contents, take from their website:


* 'Act I: The Lake South, The River North' and 'Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading' on clear vinyl with brand new, never-before-seen artwork encompassing both ACT I and ACT II.
* A download card that will contain several never-before-heard alternate versions of songs from ACT I and ACT II.
* A new digital-only EP featuring 3 brand new songs (unrelated to ACT I-III), available only to members of the fan club upon purchase.
* A lifetime “The Dear Hunter Passport,” which guarantees entry into any show, anytime, anywhere in the world. Specifically, a laminated pass with their picture on it. *
* A personal thank you in the liner notes of ACT IV, which is currently in the works.
* A hand-written letter from singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Casey Crescenzo.
* A signed poster of the artwork for the limited edition EP.



To make it even more special, there will be ONE Golden Ticket placed in the vinyl packaging that guarantees the recipient a private performance by The Dear Hunter anywhere in the U.S. of their choosing, whether it’s in a club, living room, back yard, school gym, etc.

And this message from frontman Casey Crescenzo:

"After the past 4 years of operating on the standard record cycle system,” explains Crescenzo, “we had been searching for a way to step out of our box. As soon as this idea was presented, we were offered one creative opportunity after another—re-examining our approach to the visual nature of projects from the beginning of the band at the same time we opened the creative floodgates on new material in our home studio. We have always held our fans and friends in such high regard, so offering something special like this is truly exciting, and it gives fans a chance to become an even bigger part of what this band is about."



Personally, if a band I had invested interest in did this, I would buy it in a heartbeat. What do you think of this, and will more bands start to gravitate toward this style of marketing.



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