Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonas Vece. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jonas, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I ever made was every dollar and ounce of energy ever spent on music. Especially when I got more and more into production I realized that my soul only feels at ease when I’m playing or producing. So much more than just money investment/returns I’ve got to meet so many people over the years and have been lucky enough to share in their creative process. I’ve met a lot of like minded people who truly have a special connection with music.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got my first guitar in the fourth grade (1992 or 93). I had a couple of lessons but I’m mostly self taught. Being in a band seemed like the coolest thing but in a very short amount of time I had a creative outlet that was very needed. Music became my whole world and the albums I got became my best friends. We moved around a lot when I was young so I never got attached to anyone or anywhere. Stood that way for years. I joined my first band when I was 14. Luckily it was a punk band which was a gateway into hardcore and emo and every adjacent genre. I’ve been in the scene ever since. One band leading to the next. This lead to recording. First as a necessity to create demos of songs then over time I realized I loved the science of creating music. Recording became an obsession for me and I started collecting gear. Not because I saw it as a career path but because I genuinely loved it. Over time this lead to me converting houses I’ve lived in into studios and I started invited friends over to work on songs. There was a brief moment when I thought I’d treat it as a business and in doing so I found what I didn’t want to be. The personal connection I had was fading fast. Creating music was becoming an assembly line process. I pulled back. Around this time I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. My world and consequently my priorities changed. I realized that I have to genuinely care about what I work on and who I work with. This wasn’t about money. It never was. We didn’t have money at all growing up. I hate the reality that only those with money are able to make music. I’ll work with any budget because I want to do my part in making sure people have the outlet that I’ve had. Any money I make pretty much just goes to upkeep of gear and paying bills. I keep my productions word of mouth these days and that’s lead to a culture of sorts around my studio. Friends recording friends. Friends recommending friends. I personally love working with new bands. Growing up going to the studio was always where you levelled up as a musician. I’ve learned so much about crafting songs over the years from my peers. I want to pass that knowledge on.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

What I’m learning these days and why I love creative culture these days is that there’s total freedom. There is no right or wrong in any aspect. Only expression and If driven enough anyone can make their passion a career. Everyone can have a platform. This celebration of authenticity is both exciting and inspiring. The days of big business deciding what art we create and consume, in my opinion, are over.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I can only speak to what I know from being in the music community. The number one thing I tell any new band I meet who almost always have the question of “how do we start playing shows? How do we get booked?”. My response is always the same. Go to shows. Introduce yourself. Be a member of the community. Ride for the other bands also trying to come up. Understands that all ships rise at high tide. Everyone benefits from a thriving and vibrant creative culture. Participate. As far as how society can better support- we are society and from what I’ve seen and experienced, all people have a need for connection with others. Everyone has a story they should be encouraged to share and given a space to exist. I think looking at how big hardcore and adjacent genres have got in the last couple of years is a real testament to how contagious being authentic is. Clearly there’s a need there. Lift up others. Participate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://romancandlex.bandcamp.com/album/discount-fireworks
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonasvece/