UAE rock band Jay Wud call for a final crowd-funding push to finish new album

Lebanese musician Jay Wud. Sarah Dea / The National

UAE rock band Jay Wud has raised a whopping $18,000 (Dh66,116) in just four weeks with a crowd-funding campaign to finish recording a new album in Los Angeles.

Now the group are calling out for fans to dig deep and help them reach their target in the fundraising bid’s final stretch.

The band – led by the guitar hero/frontman of the same name – launched the two-month crowd-funding bid in late November, reaching 60 per cent of their $30,000 target in just 25 days, thanks to pledges from more than 100 supporters.

However the past ten days have seen donations slow down, and now Wud and co are issuing a fresh plea for cash, which will go toward completing recording sessions in Los Angeles alongside Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (Motörhead, Papa Roach, Chris Cornell).

“We are overjoyed to announce that we’ve reached 60 per cent of our crowd-funding campaign target,” said the 32-year-old six-string virtuoso.

“The support and response so far have been overwhelming, but we’re certainly not stopping here.”

To entice would-be supporters, the band are offering an inventive raft of incentives, ranging from a limited edition T-shirt ($50), signed CD ($30) and a thank you shout-out in the album liner notes ($5), to a Skype guitar tutorial ($150) and a private unplugged performance ($1,000).

Top incentives already to have “sold out” include a signed custom guitar ($2,500) and a private full band electric gig ($3,000).

“We now need your help for the final push to reach our goal and complete our new album,” added Wud. “Every contribution, no matter how small, gets us one step closer to the finish line, and an internationally acclaimed release.”

Contribute to the campaign here.