Patron Hunt

JamesJHL is James Lee, a songwriter/producer that’s been active in Asia over the past 11 years. They played bass in a KPOP rock band called Royal Pirates until 2015 when their left hand was severed and nearly amputated in a freak accident. After 5 surgeries they decided to leave Korea and rebuild their life. After spending 3 months in a hospital for amputees, they decided there was no point in sulking and became obsessed with looking for another way to create. They spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to continue music after their accident and they stumbled onto Kickstarter. Their fans, friends and family were gracious enough to help reach the goal in a single day and they proceeded to release a project called ‘The Light EP’. What started out as a project in their bedroom with hopes to distract themselves from the physical pain and mental obstacles went on to hit number one in Southeast Asia as well as top 10 in many other countries! They’ve been able to continue with music and have been lucky enough to work with some of the most talented artists in Asia and top the charts 3 times as a writer and producer since then. In with the new, they’ve had a crash course in life as a musician signed to a major label as well as doing everything independently and one thing is clear: times are changing fast. The Kickstarter was really an opportunity to do just that: jump start their project. It was incredible to see the online community come together to make a dream a reality and they can say without a doubt there is no way ‘The Light EP’ would have been what it became without all the people who contributed. However, the responsibility of managing thousands of rewards for contributors and putting the project together so suddenly was overwhelming. They found themselves slapped with huge taxes and unexpected costs coming in all directions. They feel like they got their PhD in running their own music career; it was a humbling experience, and they are so grateful they had it. This turbulent experience not only gave them hope of a career as a musician, it was an opportunity to narrow the gap between the people who listen to their music and them. They felt closer than they’d ever been to their fans before and the inspiration from that has been why they’re able to continue what they do! They’ve been having a chaotic past few months and they’ve averaged 2-3 hours of sleep for all of September and October and its been taking a toll on their health. So they’re simplifying and revamping the Patreon with 3 Tiers. They’ll be posting about things that inspire them, random musings and probably a ton of pictures of their super helpful cowriters. Can you guess who they are? (Hint: They are fluffy and like to hoard their socks)

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