Photo Credit: Krista Lee Photography
Jo Dee Messina fans will soon get what they’ve been clamoring for as the multiplatinum, award-winning country singer/songwriter has announced that her new full-length album will be released Tuesday, March 18. With its title ME chosen by fans, the album marks Jo Dee’s most personal album to date as she wrote or co-wrote many of the songs and will release it on her own newly established label, Dreambound Records, with distribution by eOne Music. For the first time in her career, Jo Dee is able to boldly do things her own way and pave her own path to success.
Spring 2013 found the fiercely independent, outspoken, and driven artist free from a long-term record deal. Jo Dee became free to make the album she wanted, so the forward-thinking country star took to the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.com to create a new full-length album for her fans, with her fans. The “My time. Our music.” campaign allowed her backers to be involved with every step that goes into creating and recording the album, and opportunities to be rewarded with exclusive content and one-of-a-kind opportunities.
Throughout the process, her fans helped Jo Dee surpass her $100,000 goal, making her Kickstarter.com campaign the most successful one to come out of Nashville and at the time of completion, the 15th largest funded music campaign in Kickstarter.com history. The fans were given a voice. Via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Stage-It, her fans selected which songs would be included on the album, submitted artwork for her label logo, selected the album title ME and chose the album’s first single “Peace Sign.”
Following her departure from her record label, Jo Dee began reflecting and started putting pen to paper. The feisty song “Not Dead Yet” was born. “I had been listening to the naysayers around me and thought, ‘I have so much to offer now that I’m free of the restraints I had with my label.’ I then had a conversation with my friend and co-writer saying, ‘I have so much left to do, so much left to say. Goodness! I’m not dead yet!’ And that is how the song was born. It talks about how if I listened to the small thinkers and naysayers, I might as well throw in the towel. Music is my life, it’s a part of who I am. I’m not ready to give up that part of my life. Hell, I’m just getting started!”
Overall, ME is a journey. It’s honest. It’s funny. It’s sad. It’s life. At this point in her life, Jo Dee isn’t afraid. She’s a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and an incredibly gifted vocalist and songwriter who is thankful for all she’s accomplished and looking forward to all that awaits her.
“This album is truly for you, the people who appreciate the creative process, as well as my amazing fans,” exclaims JO DEE. “There’s no question, I wouldn’t be where I am today without your love and support. You’ve been with me since the beginning. This album is a fresh start for me, and I want us to go on this exciting journey together.”
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