1,487 words

KEY POINTS

Background: A band from Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by childhood friends who started as a punk band in high school before evolving into NOT A TOY. They share strong bonds and consider themselves as much a family as a band.

Musical Style: Blend of Indie Pop, Indie Rock, and Rap/Hip-Hop. Their upcoming album "FILTHY YUCK" is a concept album influenced by anime, video games, comics, and film.

Professional Experience: 3-7 years of active music-making, previously signed to an indie label, completed multiple regional and national tours, and have professional management and agent representation.

Current Situation: Currently independent after leaving their label, all members work full-time jobs to support their music career, earning under $10,000 annually from music.

Project Status: Writing their second album "FILTHY YUCK," which will be accompanied by a comic series. The music is ready for production.

Technical Plan: Will use grant specifically for hiring a mixing engineer (potentially Andrew Maury). The band owns their master rights and can handle recording, video production, and basic production internally.

Marketing Strategy: Comprehensive album rollout planned with press releases, music videos, and live performance tapings for each song. Will engage with their Discord community and pursue tour opportunities.

Business Understanding: Demonstrate strong industry knowledge through self-management of recording, production, touring, and marketing. Registered with performing rights organizations and understand the importance of professional representation.

Impact Potential: Grant would help alleviate financial pressure, enable professional production quality, and potentially lead to charting independently and securing a record deal that would allow full-time music careers.

QUOTES

"Music is the reason why our band are all best friends. It gave us purpose. It gave us an outlet to express ourselves and find a community of support."

"We first began as a punk band playing gigs anywhere and everywhere in high school, driving a dilapidated school bus across the country."

"Innovation truly is the child of necessity. We've grown to learn how to record, mix, master, shoot and edit photo/video, and how to put together a full live set - all with very few resources."

"FILTHY YUCK will be the music you'd hear in a packed underground club or a speeding car if you were a character in the world of the comic series we are creating with it. With songs worthy of being scored in blockbuster fight scenes, car chases, races, redemption arcs, romance, grief, and coming-of-age tales."