Fundraising boost gives Northampton musician hope after record deal collapse and car crash

Rebecca Mercer, who performs under the stage name Bex, has been hit by a number of setbacks in recent months.

A potential record deal that involved five months of legal wrangling, stopping her from producing music, failed at the final hurdle after the company refused to negotiate. And then a recent car crash left Bex and her band looking unable to attend festivals and gigs over the summer.

But when Bex set up on a GoFundMe page appealing for money to help buy a car or, ideally, a touring van for her and her band, she was amazed at the response.

Twenty-four-year-old Bex put out a post on Instagram on Monday and within a day it had raised more than £2,000.

"It has been incredible. I was in such a low point and I felt that no-one cared about my career and that everyone has forgotten about me,” Bex said.

Bex, who lives in Northampton, supports her music career with a flourishing upcycling business that operates on a number of platforms but she had hoped that the record deal would allow her to focus full-time.

“My career came to a crashing halt when the record company said they didn’t want to negotiate after five months and I couldn’t accept the deal they were offering. I was left to pay the entire five months of lawyer fees,” she said.

“All the money I had saved to release music went to paying the legal bills.

“I got in a crash because I was so distracted. I wrote my car off and I've got festivals this week, more shows the following week, and no transport, and no-one in the band drives,” she added.

The GoFundMe page currently stands at nearly £2,400.

"I really am feeling more confident, I feel the crash was terrifying and made me re-evaluate everything and seeing the amount of support I have received has been incredible,” she added.