Popular Regional Cover Band Asks Fans to Help Pay for its First Album

Harkland isn’t just another garage band, according band frontman Paulie Krakk.

The four-man group plays a mix of cover songs and original music, that Krakk, who is also a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, describes as alternative rock with southern roots. “We play every genre we can possibly handle,” Krakk says.

Harkland plays about 150 shows a year and last month the group gained the distinction of being the first local band to ever play the Sands Casino Bethlehem Event Center, opening for a Philadelphia band called Silvertide, in a venue that seats 2,600 people. After that the group returned to the Sands to open for Weezer.

Harkland has its own website, a Facebook page, a Twitter handle - @Harklandmusic. Harkland can claim devoted fans in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Krakk says.

The one thing missing amid all of this apparent success, according to Krakk? An album featuring Harkland’s original music.

Producing an album costs $5,000 to $6,000 Krakk says. “It’s just not feasible.”

Or at least it wasn’t until Krakk started a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Harkland. And, the band has already raised enough money to record two songs, according to the Harkland website.

But even though the GoFundMe campaign has been “pretty successful,” Krakk says that Harkland is “not letting GoFundMe do all of the work.” He is personally putting all of the money he makes at a 30-hour-week job at BestBuy toward recording.

His other bandmates also have day jobs Krakk says, ranging from construction work to managing a music store. “We’ve been saving for about a year,” Krakk explains.

Harkland is also in the process of recording a demo of songs it covers in order to enter a music competition, Krakk says. "It's like our resume to get into the contest," he explains. "It will give people the opportunity to hear us on a professional recording."

When the demo is ready, Harkland will be promoting it on its website and Facebook page, Krakk says.

If all goes well, Krakk says he and his bandmates would hope to enter the recording studio on the album in February and release a finished product around Easter -- in time for spring break.

“We want the people who are donating to us and supporting what we are trying to do for our lives to know we are serious musicians,” Krakk says. “We are accomplishing goals.”