The question nobody asked: SKULL STASH BAGS – Why?
Y’all have been hearing about these for at least a year, but this is something I’ve actually been plotting for well over a decade.
It all began back when I was in school coming up with a business plan for my music. That was the first time I remember feeling not just bored with the typical merch, but also a deep heartache knowing how much of it was destined for the landfill. Over the years, this concern deepened as I observed an avalanche of branded items saturate every industry, often becoming quickly discarded waste.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy good merch and I use the heck out of it! My drawer is broken from the weight of my favorite band shirts, I haven’t purchased a pen since 2011, and I am currently using a notebook with “Sony Alpha” emblazoned on the front to make notes for my upcoming releases. But I wrestle with the idea of contributing to the mass production of items that exist for only a moment in time, just to “increase brand visibility.”
I have been yearning to create merch that is more sustainable and useful than the typical items, unique from what most artists offer, but also fun and full of my personality and my “brand”. I also really wanted to work with other creatives and small businesses. I knew going in that these requirements could be limiting, I didn’t care.
For years, it was all just a concept, I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted or where to even begin. Enter, Iggy – my bestie blessed with style, crafting skills and patience. They have been supporting me and my music for a LONG time and I was thrilled to bring them on for this task. I asked them to make me some stash bags. Iggy knows me so well that they quickly found the perfect design (by Sixel Designs,) walked me through some options, and then helped me choose between some colours. “Why skulls?” You may ask. I like skulls, I collect them. Ask me how many I have, I couldn’t tell you.
I also wanted to offer a little gift with each bag. That’s where Scott comes in! Another friend and long time support, Scott loves 3D printing. Shortly after he got into the hobby, he printed me dozens of little pink and white picks just because. It was a great gift, I keep them in a little wooden coffin by my desk. I remembered these picks so I reached out and he did not hesitate for a moment to start producing some 3D printed picks made from PLA!
And then we have the hand written lyrics – I produced these! I don’t have great handwriting, but as the songwriter it seemed appropriate to be my task.
I’ll be honest—the sole motivation here was that I wanted to be able to say “The Stash Bags come with Hand Rolled Js”. So I stamped a J on the back of the lyrics, and when you order your bag, I will roll one up and send it to you in a glass tube that I sourced from a charming Etsy shop in the Appalachians.
Of course, we must include music! The first release I put out as a solo artist was Empty Caskets, which came out 3 years ago, May 27th, 2022. It is also a very fitting song for the style of the bag! Every purchase includes a high res download and MP3.
And there you have it! Merch made with LOVE. This is a moment when it feels really good to be an Independent artist, because if I had to answer to millions of fans, I couldn’t do things like this. I would definitely try, but that kind of demand would mean something has to give. So thank you to all of you, of course, for making it possible for me to make the music and merch that I want to make. I am blessed!
Xo
Jo