In this episode of Lorenzo's Music Podcast, I meet Jason Erb, who is behind the music project Velcro Mary. Jason shares the origins of his unique band name and reflects on his evolution as a musician, from recording on four-track cassette tapes to his recent foray into remixing his earlier works. We talk about influences that shaped his sound, including grunge icons like Nirvana and the lo-fi aesthetic of the early '90s. Jason opens up about the challenges of finding his musical identity, especially as he juggles family life and his creative pursuits.

We also discuss his latest remix album, a project that allowed him to revisit and reimagine his past work with fresh techniques and insights gained over the years.

you can find his work on all major streaming platforms and visit his website at https://www.velcromarymusic.com

---

Lorenzo's Music Website - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

In this episode of Lorenzo's Music Podcast, I meet Simon Vansintjan, a web developer and musician, to explore the innovative platform Mirlo. Designed as a collectively owned digital marketplace for music, Mirlo aims to provide an open-source alternative to conventional platforms like Bandcamp, emphasizing community and transparency.

Simon shares the story behind Mirlo and discusses the challenges of building a music platform without venture capital. We delve into the unique features of Mirlo, including its subscription model that allows artists to offer their music and merchandise directly to fans while fostering a sustainable income stream.

We talk about the importance of cooperative ownership in the music industry, the platform's support of Creative Commons licensing, and the vision for creating a supportive community for musicians. Simon also highlights the technical aspects of Mirlo, including its user-friendly interface and the ongoing development to enhance the listening experience for users.

To learn more about Mirlo and join the conversation, visit mirlo.space

---

Lorenzo's Music Website - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

In this episode of Lorenzo's Music Podcast, I meet Simon Repp, a talented software developer focused on creating tools for musicians. We delve into Simon's projects, primarily Faircamp, a static site generator for musicians that allows them to host their music independently, much like Bandcamp but without the platform constraints.

Simon shares the origins of Faircamp, inspired by his own experiences as a musician and his desire for a platform that prioritizes simplicity and independence over commercial competition. We explore the technical aspects of Faircamp, including its foundation on Rust for efficient and bug-free coding, and its innovative use of FFmpeg for audio file conversion. Simon explains the concept of a "soft pay curtain," a unique approach to voluntary payments for music downloads.

We also discuss the challenges and opportunities of self-hosted platforms, the role of static site generators, and Simon's commitment to maintaining Faircamp as a low-maintenance, accessible tool for musicians. Additionally, Simon talks about his other project, Hyper 8, a similar tool for video producers, and his vision for the future of these projects.

Discover more about Simon's work and explore Faircamp at simonrepp.com/faircamp.

---

Lorenzo's Music Website - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com