May 25th, 2024: Zine Launch

May 31st - June 31st, 2024: Interest Check

July 7th: Interest Check Results Released

July 8th - August 20th (extended from August 1st), 2024: Mod Applications

August 23rd, 2024: Mod Application Decisions

September 1st - October 1st, 2024: Contributor Applications

October 15th, 2024: Contributor Application Decisions (at latest, may be earlier)

October 20th, 2024: Joining Deadline

October 21st - February 16th, 2025: Music Production Period

February 17th - May 11th, 2025: Vocals Creation Period

May 30th - September 21st, 2025: Art and Animatic Creation Period

October 5th - November 31st, 2025: Preorders

December 1st, 2025 - January 25th, 2026: Physicals Production And Shipping Preorders

January 26th, 2026: Free Digital Release

January 27th, 2026: Leftovers Open Until Sold Out

Is this a real project, or part of the in-universe bit?

While a lot of the marketing for this project is written with the in-universe lore in mind, this is a real project featuring real Ace Attorney fans. This project will be in line (to the best of our ability) to our in-universe lore, but there absolutely will be a real album released in January 2026, written, sung, and produced by the Ace Attorney fan community.

Why January 2026?

Since this is such an extensive project, it will be a much longer project than most zines to ensure that we're not creating a stressful environment for contributors and mods. Also, we know The Gavinners were on the Guilty As Charged tour in early 2026. A release date of January 2026 fits in perfectly with this timeline.

Do I need to be a professional to apply?

Absolutely not! This is a fan project, and we aim to make this as relaxed and fun as possible. This album will most likely not sound like a formal produced album. While we certainly would love if the songs sounded professional, and we will be striving for it, the main purpose of this project is to bring the fan community together through the medium of music, not to top charts.

Do I need prior experience to apply?

Nope! Again, prior experience is always welcome, and being able to prove that you're a reliable mod/contributor is always a good thing, but we recognize how closed-off the zine space has become recently. As such, as long as you have a sample of past work, even if they are personal projects and not part of a zine or a project, you are more than welcome to apply. The exception to this is our finance mod. We're not willing to take risks with people's money!

How old do I have to be to apply?

You have to be at least 15 years old by the time decisions are sent out.

Will NSFW content be allowed?

No. This album is aimed to be completely PG, PG-13 at most. As such, NSFW content, references to NSFW content, or even cussing (in the lyrics) beyond what would be allowed on a kids' channel will not be allowed. Since this project allows contributors as young as 15, we want to ensure it's a safe space for them.

Will OCs be allowed?

To keep in line with the lore of our universe, other Gavinners OCs are not allowed unless you know a way to fit them into the lore. You'll have to ask the mods on a case-by-case basis. OCs of non-Gavinners characters are welcome to be drawn or mentioned in songs, but you will still need to mention this when you pitch to the mods in order to make sure we've got our ducks in a row.

Will AI be used in this project?

The use of AI is strictly banned in this project. It is getting more and more difficult to discern AI from genuine art, but we will have a strict no AI policy. If a contributor is found to be using AI for this project, they will be removed from the project.

What about copyright?

Fan projects like this toe the line of copyright regardless, but we aim to have transformative, original work inspired by The Gavinners: we don't want to steal from anyone! As such, we will be strict in ensuring that all music is originally composed rather than taken from other artists. Contributors found plagiarizing will be removed from the project.

Where will the money go?

Currently, we haven't even decided if there will be any paid aspect to this project as the interest check hasn't closed yet. However, it seems fairly likely that there will be an optional paid physical album, and some paid merch. The majority of the price of the merch and album will go towards production costs. Any profit generated from the zine will be donated to Paani Project, a nonprofit which provides clean drinking water in rural areas of Pakistan. Paani Project was chosen as they build wells, which are a long-term solution to the water crisis, and they send images of completed wells so that donators can rest assured that the money is being used correctly.

What if I have another question not answered here?

We have a Retrospring you can send your questions to! You can also reach out to us @GavinnersBand on Twitter, GavinnersBand on Tumblr or via email at officialgavinners@gmail.com.

If you're interested in participating in the project, here are some important dates to be mindful of.

September 1st - October 1st, 2024: Contributor Applications

These are the main roles we will be looking for:

Contributors:

• Illustrators

• Music composers and producers

• Instrumentalists

• Vocalists

Sample Requirements:

Music Production
Applicants will be judged on their ability to produce a song including melody, harmonic structure, technique, arrangement, and mixing. Applicants must have legal access to a DAW (digital audio workstation) or recording software, and must have basic proficiency in using it. Please provide us with three samples of your strongest musical compositions at least 2 minutes in length. While samples of all genres are allowed, we would prefer samples which showcase your abilities to produce pop-rock songs.

Music Composition
Applicants will be judged on their ability to compose a song including melody, harmonic structure, technique, arrangement, and mixing. Applicants must have legal access to a DAW (digital audio workstation) or recording software, and must have basic proficiency in using it. Please provide us with three samples of your strongest musical compositions at least 2 minutes in length. While samples of all genres are allowed, we would prefer samples which showcase your abilities to produce pop-rock songs.

Writing Lyrics
Applicants will be judged on their ability to write a song including flow, rhythm, and clarity. Formatting, spelling, and grammar will also be considered. Please provide us with three writing samples of songs that you have written in the past. While samples of all genres are allowed, we would prefer samples which showcase your abilities to produce pop-rock songs.

Instrumentalist
Applicants will be judged on their ability to perform a song including flow, rhythm, and recording quality. While professional grade recordings are not required, your recording should sound clean and polished. Please provide us with three writing samples of songs that you have written in the past. While samples of all genres are allowed, we would prefer samples which showcase your abilities to play pop-rock songs.

Vocalist
Applicants will be judged on their ability to perform a song including tone quality, diction, range, and recording quality. While professional grade mics are not required, your vocals should sound clean and polished. Please provide us with samples of songs that you have performed in the past. While samples of all genres are allowed, we would prefer samples which showcase your abilities to perform pop-rock songs. Samples that include backing tracks are strongly recommended.

Samples without a backing track are still allowed, but will be graded with stricter requirements than for samples that include backing tracks. This video created by our music mod will provide some insight on how to add a backing track to your submission. If you have already submitted prior to this being announced, you do not need to resubmit, but you are welcome to change or resubmit the form if you would prefer to do so.

Illustrator
Applicants will be judged on their ability to illustrate a full-color piece. We will be looking for proficiency in composition, lighting, and color. Please provide us with three samples of fully colored pieces, as well as an easily viewable portfolio of your previous work. At least one sample should have a full background.

Merch Artist
Applicants will be judged on their ability to create professional merchandise. We will be looking for proficiency in composition, lighting, and color, as well as stylization. Please provide us with three samples of fully colored pieces, preferably past merch designs, as well as an easily viewable portfolio of your previous work.

Note
While we were previously considering having animatic artists, we have since decided to downsize our project. We apologize for the inconvenience!