Of the Uncaused Cause is Civilized Creature’s sixth full-length record and his second partner release with Renew the Arts. On this record, much of Ryan Lane’s style is the same, but there is continued improvement. His samples are cleaner, his lyrics clearer, his heart more tender than ever, and his concerns as pressing as his unrelenting rhythm section that refuses to be predictable. The album opens with “For Senses” which perfectly captures his current take on electric pop: “If I can’t hear / Uncover my ears.” It’s a plea for the physical senses to be utilized for a greater purpose. With such heart, it makes sense that Civilized Creature makes some of the best electronic pop—amazing to your ears, and even better for your heart. (Words by Justus Stout, President of Renew the Arts).

Renew the Arts helped Civilized Creature realize their vision for this record free of charge and free of strings by:

• providing in-depth artistic feedback during the sequencing and mastering process
• distributing the record digitally through our Renew the Arts Bandcamp label
• sending the record for review to blogs with which we have developed relationships over the years
• recommending the record to our fan base
• paying for advertisement with various independent music platforms

Estimated monetary value of sponsorship: $1,500

The Town Runner EP by Make Sure explores some of the same guitar-driven indie-pop that main singer-songwriter Josh Jackson had explored under his Fiery Crash moniker, but this effort represents a more collaborative, band-oriented approach to maturing material. Town Runner sets up Make Sure’s full-length LP to be released through Renew the Arts in 2019.

Renew the Arts helped Make Sure realize their vision for this record free of charge and free of strings by:

• providing in-depth artistic feedback and critique
• providing session musicians
• loaning recording equipment and microphones
• additional recording at Clubmen Studios
• mastering the record in-house
• creating album art and layout in-house
• providing for digital distribution through Bandcamp, iTunes, etc.

Estimated monetary value of sponsorship: $7,000

Steadfast is Civilized Creature’s first record with Renew the Arts, but it’s Civilized Creature’s fifth album overall. Songwriter/producer/one-man-band Ryan Lane contacted us before its release simply because he had been following our work for a few years and wanted to partner with us to distribute and promote his record. We’re so happy he did. Steadfast is a gem of an album, what Let Us Make a Record called “a bass-thumping, breakdance-inducing joyful noise.”

Renew the Arts helped Civilized Creature realize their vision for this record free of charge and free of strings by:

• providing in-depth artistic feedback during the sequencing and mastering process
• distributing the record digitally through our Renew the Arts Bandcamp label
• sending the record for review to blogs with which we have developed relationships over the years
• recommending the record to our fan base
• paying for advertisement with various independent music platforms

Estimated monetary value of sponsorship: $1,500

I Have Seen the End, Brock’s Folly’s third record with Renew the Arts, is a folk-funk Americana extravaganza, live-tracked to capture all of the zealous energy of their well-tuned live show.

Renew the Arts helped Brock’s Folly realize their vision for this record free of charge and free of strings by:

• providing in-depth artistic feedback and critique during the two-year compositional process
• connecting them to producer Patrick Anderson who tracked and mastered the record at Renew the Arts’ special rate
• mixing the record in-house
• creating album art and layout in-house
• launching a successful Kickstarter to crowd-fund the cost of tracking, mastering, replication, and digital distribution

Estimated monetary value of sponsorship: $25,000

Before the Bright Lights, Anthony Quails’ first record with Renew the Arts, is a polished folk Western record showcasing Quails’ exquisite voice and knack for rustic storytelling.

Renew the Arts helped Anthony realize his vision for this record free of charge and free of strings by:

• providing in-depth artistic feedback and critique
• providing session musicians
• producing demos in-house to establish a direction for the album
• facilitating the collaboration with producer James Smith (Clubmen Studios) who tracked and mixed the record at Renew the Arts’ special rate
• creating album art and layout in-house
• launching a successful Kickstarter to crowd-fund the cost of tracking, mastering, replication, and digital distribution

Estimated monetary value of sponsorship: $27,000