Album Within An Album Released Via BackerKit Digital Download
about 7 years ago – Sun, Jun 02, 2019 at 11:37:21 PM

Hey, backers! Please check your emails for a digital download notification from Backerkit. The Album Within An Album has been released as a zip file of mp3's.

Please enjoy these 13 tracks across 12 different artists coming together to all offer their own take on the American Apocalypse and the narrative of the greater Pieces story. All genres are represented, from hip-hop to punk to metal to barbershop (!).

I hope you enjoy it!

If you did not receive an email from Backerkit informing you of your new digital distribution asset and you backed at a tier where you are entitled to receive the Album Within An Album, let me know.

If you particularly enjoy any artist's work, please reach out to them to let them know! We indie artists love hearing from fans. I can provide social handles or contact information for any of these artists you wish to reach.

Shipped (Thank you Jeff Good!) and heading towards completion
over 7 years ago – Tue, Apr 16, 2019 at 07:30:53 PM

Beginning today, people are receiving Pieces in their physical mail.

Remember to use the #BitsOfPieces hashtag if you want to discuss what you received.

Special thanks go out to project second-in-command and art director Jeff Good, as well as art supercontributor Marty Knapton, for their oversized roles in making this happen. In particular, Jeff flew out out this last weekend to pack and ship these packages, physically. So bonus kudos to him for that manual labor. Marty physically laid out the book and contributed about one fifth of the total art, so bonus kudos to him for that.

Between the album, which has long been published on YouTube and Spotify, and the art books, which are now arriving in your mailboxes, this mystery is close to being solved. The final Piece of the puzzle is the album within an album, which will come out within two weeks. Then we call this Kickstarter complete.

If due to moving, change of residence, postal service whatever, you were entitled to a physical good and do not receive it within two weeks, let me know and I will rectify that.

FWIW, this is apropos of nothing, and unrelated to the completion of this Kickstarter, but I am a they/them now rather than a he/him. Update your personal mental databases accordingly, and continue to follow me at @NewSpruke. I am taking night production classes to next level my craft, and there are greater and queerer things coming in my future. <3

The Big Day! Shipping Day!
over 7 years ago – Sat, Apr 13, 2019 at 02:30:20 PM

Me and Art Director Jeff Good with a vinyl, a book, and a LOT of shipping labels!

Today is the big day! The vinyls are here, the books are here, 100 vinyl mailers are here, and the USPS is here (in spirit). Art Director Jeff Good flew in for the weekend to help pack and ship.

You may see a flurry of Backerkit emails confirming your order moving through the shipping stages. Don't be alarmed.

Vinyls Are In, Books Here Soon, Fulfillment Almost Complete
over 7 years ago – Sun, Mar 03, 2019 at 09:37:13 PM

Hello again! It's been a little while. As I said in the last update, we were put on the backburner for slow-turnround vinyl, but the Canon Vinyls are finally here and they're gorgeous.

Meanwhile, the books were sent off to print some time ago, so with any luck, those are here soon too. Don't have an official estimate but it shouldn't be too much longer now.

Once the books are here, I'm gonna have a big Packaging And Sending Things weekend where I get all the vinyls and books sent out; then I publish the Album Within An Album; and then this Kickstarter is all nicely tidied up!

Thanks again for your patience. We're almost at the finish line.

Canon vinyls delivery estimate, Meeps delivered, book entering production
almost 8 years ago – Wed, Nov 14, 2018 at 01:15:25 PM

Hello, Pieces backers! Today we have some lovely updates for you on the fulfillment of the physical rewards.

Book

The art book is essentially done being laid out and I expect to send it off to the printer before Thanksgiving. I don't have a production time estimate yet, but once it's out of my hands and into theirs, I'll post an update.

Meeps (Individual Custom Vinyls)

Meep has completed fulfilling the Individual Vinyls and they were gorgeous. Here is an example of project co-creator Jeff Good holding his proud new trophy when it arrived in the mail. Every individual vinyl was printed with a different combination of multiple arts, and musically, imprinted with its owners' custom copy.

If you were supposed to receive a Custom Collectible Vinyl and did not, please message me and I will alert Meep.

I received one message from a backer whose Custom Collectible Vinyl was damaged in transit. I am arranging for a replacement. If anybody else has had this experience, please message me and I will alert Meep.

Canon Vinyls

The canon vinyl production process is taking longer than I would like. As the project only barely funded and I had so many contributors to pay out, there was only enough money to pay for discount processing turnaround time, which means my project is not prioritized and is essentially on a "When they get to it" basis over at the printer's. I contacted them asking how it's coming (since I submitted it about six weeks ago or so) and they are saying February looks likely. That is disappointing to me as I had hoped to tie this all up by Christmas, but that's what I had left in my project funds. I am sorry for the inconvenience and the bad turnaround delay in Canon Vinyls.

Album Within An Album

At some point as everything nears total fulfillment I will release the Album Within An Album and tie this all up with a tidy bow. :) No forecast yet on when that will be because the mystery of not knowing the full songs and only hearing them in glimpses is pretty cool. But expect the AWIA to come out around the same time books + vinyls do.

Finally, Happy Holidays, everybody. If you would like to get in touch with me, here is the best way if it's KS related. If it's just general well-wishes or wanting to talk, I'm generally available on Twitter at @NewSpruke.