If you're going to Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend, head out to the BMI stage early on Friday to catch April Smith and the Great Picture Show-and grab a bag of popcorn and a sarsaparilla on the way. The Brooklyn singer blends throwback pop, swing and country with a modern edge, and this year won Best Pop/Rock song in the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for her song "Colors," which she recently played with her band in the Billboard studios.

Currently unattached to a label, Smith says that being an independent artist gives her "more creative freedom, where you're not waiting around for a label to tell you when and what you can do."

To fund her next album, Smith is using Kickstarter.com, a website that helps artists enlist fans to sponsor creative projects. Rewards for pledging range from a part in a music video, to dinner with the band, to free admission to shows for a year. The band is currently at almost $7,500 of its $10,000 goal.