10th Nov 08 -----------------------------------------------------------------

For those who have expressed curiosity about the South London Press article of 31st October 2008 (scanned in my 'Photo' tab) here's a transcript:

INTERNET STAR

The internet has made musicians as much as it has almost broken record companies. Camberwell-based singer Ariel tells Dan Frost about a new website that could be her path to musical stardom

For most the internet has been a God-send. Just ask any journalist how much harder their job would be without it - the demise of Google or Wikipaedia is far more likely to prompt mass hysteria in newsrooms than a stock market crash.

But while most of us bathe luxuriously in e-convenience, the internet has proved a mixed blessing for the music industry (or just an outright nightmare). From Napster to MySpace the world's gallop towards www.everything has turned up a long line of crater-sized pothole in every record company's path, frequently wrestling control (and money) from companies and leaving consistently behind-the-beat labels playing games of catch-up and damage limitation.

Putting aside the decades of greedy execs exploiting art for money, you can't help but feel a little sorry for some of these labels, taken by surprise while everything was looking so rosy. And, as the world teeters on the edge of a fairly monumental financial cliff, it would be nice to throw some happy news their way.

But that's not to be as yet an other website has been launched in the quest to make record labels obsolete. At www.sellaband.com bands & musicians create a profile, upload some songs & then invite "believers" to make financial bids of support that will eventually pay for them to record an album. When an artist reaches $50,000 they can then claim the pledged money for the album, with Sellaband maintaining publishing rights so that a percentage of sales can be returned to online investors.

It might sound far-fetched - how many fans really have the money to bankroll unknown musicians' careers? - but the experience of a Camberwell-based performer is testament to just how effectively this new web venture can work.

Singer and musician Ariel launched her Sellaband profile in the middle of August and within 10 weeks had received pledges totalling more than $6,000.

"You get some fantastically produced professional artists on there, but you also get bedroom artists who are just beavering away," she explains. "I just took a chance to see what would come back from it and within a week I'd raised a grand, so thought 'well, we're onto something here'."

"It's a really exciting and fresh development in the industry," she continues with bubbling enthusiasm, "because it really is putting control into believers' hands."

Delighted with both the response and the way the site has brought her closer to fans , Greenwich-raised Ariel has offered to play a free and spontaneous outdoor gig in Camberwell if she reaches $8,000 by midnight tonight.

"I think it will be a really nice treat for people on a Saturday afternoon," says Ariel, whose 80s-infused music is inspired by David Bowie, Kate Bush & Eurhythmics. "And it will show people what a great concept Sellaband is and how it can really help people connect to the music they like. To have a democratic groundswell of support for new artists is a great way of bringing them to the fore, from the grassroots up."

"This is the modern indie. This is what indie is now."

Ariel will play Southside Bar, Brixton Hill, on November 20th. Visit www.thesouthsidebar.co.uk for more information. As we went to press she had raised more than $7,000. Visit www.sellaband.com/ariel to help Ariel follow in the well-trodden Internet-phenomenon footsteps of Lilly Allen and Arctic Monkeys. Also see www.myspace.com/arielmoves for more information about upcoming gigs.

8th Nov 08 -------------------------------------------------------------------

WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!! $9k, and not even my 3 month-aversary yet!!! Let's celebrate a phenomenal journey so far & turn our faces to the next BIG milestone - $10k : ) wahey hey hey.

Love you all xxxx

2nd Nov 08 -------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to my wonderful believers, both long-standing community members and newbies who have joined to support me, we have proudly succeeded in doubling our parts to $8k in the space of a month. What a phenomenal achievement! And we had 24 hours to spare! WELL DONE ALL!!! but never one to rest on the laurels, here's a preview of our next part-doubling challenge:

$16k by New Years Day 2009...!!!

How, I hear you say? Watch this space...

31st Oct 08 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT A HAPPY H-ARIEL-OWEEN ;-)

~ WE DID IT!!! $8K BEFORE NOVEMBER!!! ~

thank you soo much to everyone who made this possible

Phil, Cris, Giant, Mawa, Giles, Jacob, Peter Thomas, Caseb, Albert, Ossi

You're my best lads!!! :)

27th Oct 08 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow what a week! Thanks to an angelic & generous injection of belief from Dr Feelgood we're riding high atop the Fast Mover charts. Makes our $8k by 12 noon 1st November challenge look just within reach...It'll be so exciting to see what happens & I rilly rilly hope we will make the news!

20th Oct 08 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hee hee I'm having such fun with this now! Last night's gig in London's Soho went so well - the modest venue was packed to the rafters and when I looked out at the audience their eyes were alive with interest. I was privileged to be given a truly warm reception too! Sheer bliss to play live...Check the 'Shows' tab for what's coming up!

Now that I'm honoured to have 87 believers since I began in August, I want to celebrate by offering a private and completely personal video to the 100th Believer!

As for reaching our $8k by November goal, who can say? I'm such an optimist ;-) And as we've told the local press about the celebratory street gig I sincerely hope we make it!!!

Love & butterflies xxxxx

5th Oct 08 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi all! The Gold Vid was such fun - and so effective - that we're back with a new wager:

Double our parts to $8k by November & we will take it to the masses with a London street performance, emblazoned with Sellaband banners! :-)

As per usual, I don't know if we're overreaching but what the hey! Let's aim high and spread our message far & wide.

Love to you all, Ariel xxx

29th Sept 08 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

We did it guys!!! Fantastic effort, well done us! We succeeeded in doubling our parts in 10 days to $4k.

And we've reached no.1 in the Weekly Charts for the first (not the last!)

time :-)

The gold painting video is now up with photos on the way :-)

Onward to $5, $10....$50k!!!! Love to you all xxxxxXXXXX

24th Sept 08 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ariel's Wager has grown a new limb!

If we raise $1k in the next week, I will of course paint myself gold.

If we raise $2k the luscious Liza Lee will paint herself silver too!

*S*T*O*P* PRESS: And Katie Thompson will go silver too!!!

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SellaBand has created its own 'Dream Team' of female solo artists on whom the sun never sets :-)

Join Aryn, Faye, Inge, Jennifer, Katie, Liza, Monika, Sofi (BONNIE) and myself on our new believers page to support us on our SellaBand journeys!