One fan–funded

“We took this album to Nashville to record at the famous Blackbird Studio, owned by Martina McBride,” says singer-songwriter Rob Bondurant of his new album, Hurricane. “I wanted a sound, a vibe, a story, and to do something most bands in San Diego don’t have the opportunity to do.”

The trip to Nashville with his band, producers, and a videographer was fan-funded, and by that we mean one fan. “I was blessed with the opportunity to go the extra mile by a business-minded fan named Dylan Bates,” says Bondurant of the man he first met while playing a corporate gig last year. “Although [Bates] loved what I did, it was just another gig and I didn’t hear from him after that. Then one day, by chance, I got a last-minute call from a fellow performer to go play a private gig in La Jolla. When I arrived, it was Dylan and his associates.”

That performance led to another engagement for Bates, at which Bondurant “played him and his friends a few of my songs, and they loved it. I collected a $900 tip for two hours of playing and went on my way. About an hour later, I received a text that said, ‘Hey man, great job tonight. I have some money and some contacts. Put something together and let’s see if we can help you out.’”

Over the next several months Bondurant researched the music industry, “hiring consultants and developing the best strategy I could to build a career [in music]. This album, the trip to Nashville, the videos, website, photos, merch, is all a result of [Bates’s] sponsorship. I put together a list of projects, like the website, videos, album, marketing, with attached budgets, and he sends me the funding.

“Dylan believes in me. He believes in helping people who are driven about their passion, and he’s willing to bridge the gap between resources. He’s a supporter of the arts. As he said to me, he would rather ‘invest in something that’s real.’ This has changed my life, and continues to blow my mind every day.”

The release party for Hurricane happens December 12 at Seven Grand in North Park.