Local country-rock musician Allison Shirk will release her debut album “Break My Heart” during a special concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Red Bike.
The album is the result of a Kickstarter campaign Shirk held last August, in which donors contributed a portion of the funds needed for recording. The campaign raised $9,269 in two weeks, with 112 Vashon residents — 65 percent of the total backers — contributing. Shirk funded the rest of the album, a project totaling $15,000 for the album’s recording, replication and distribution.
“The album release party is my way to giving back to everyone who supported me,” Shirk said. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear the songs — both performed live and as recorded on the album. Making this album has been a dream come true for me.”
Shirk will perform the album’s 11 songs cover to cover with the same musicians who appear on the album with her: islanders Todd Zimberg, Joe Panzetta, Jacob Bain, Mike Nichols, Paul Colwell, Jason Stacek, Sarah Christine, Sarah Howard and Richard Lipke, plus Seattle musicians Keith Lowe, Daniel Walker, Dave Harmonson and Bill Jones.
Shirk noted that Kickstarter and other crowdfunding sites have become a critical tool for musicians to create and distribute music, as the music industry isn’t what it used to be. She said she needs the album to help open doors to playing venues in Seattle and for touring around the Northwest, Texas and California.
For Shirk, songwriting comes from a place of story. She believes all her songs have elements of her own life in them, but that they also have a life of their own to which others can relate. Shirk also said proceeds from one song, “Monster,” will be donated to domestic violence agencies when it’s downloaded as a single. The song was written as an autobiographical account of her experience witnessing domestic violence.
“I want to give the song back as a way to help people in need,” Shirk said. “One of the organizations I plan to donate to is the DoVE Project. … The DoVE project was an idea (originally) conceived by Claudia Gross-Shader. She enlisted me with getting a focus group together to figure out how to get on-island services for survivors of domestic violence.”
The collection of songs that Shirk chose for the album spans 10 years of songwriting. She said the album has been a long time coming, and that the time was not right until this year to make it all happen.
“There is no way I could have done it without the support of this community and of Pete Welch, my partner,” Shirk added. “Pete has been there every step of the way. He sat through all the recording and mastering sessions and is a constant source of encouragement.”
Tickets are $10 at the door, and all ages are welcome. The album can also be purchased at allisonshirk.com.
