COMPLACENCE BREEDS MEDIOCRITY.
WHAT IS THE EXCUSE FOR NOT
STRIVING FOR THE GREATER THING?
// YET ANOTHER ANCIENT A THOUSAND ARMS PROVERB //
IT CAME FROM THE GARAGE…
THE ORIGINS OF A THOUSAND ARMSWhether hammering out riffs surrounded by layers of less-than-sanitary carpet samples acquired from the dumpster behind Pierce Flooring™ or slogging through a print run of shirts in an uninsulated lean-to in the grip of a brutal Montana winter, the ethos and attitude of Do-It-Yourself was forged and hardened in the literal garage.
The trials exacted by less-than-ideal creative spaces taught us the value of perseverance and refining our craft to the point where we could gradually make the steps up and out of them to realize our vision and to then assist others embarking on that same journey.
BUILDING A BETTER BAND SHIRT
OR, "WHY DOES OUR MERCH SUCK?"This is a question we have earnestly asked ourselves numerous times along our 20+ year journey. Our earliest bands wanted to have the coolest merch in the game but every time we received an order it never quite delivered the impact we had envisioned. We could lazily blame the printers, but in all honesty, we had no clue what we were doing or how to communicate what we wanted to the people who would be producing it for us.
This led us back to our trusty DIY ideology where we bought ourselves a screen-printing press and taught ourselves how to use it. Many years spent learning the craft have allowed us to build a host of services which fulfill every want and need a band or brand could have, facilitate those in a clear and concise manner, all while retaining the integrity of what a handshake deal used to stand for.
BEYOND THE TEE…
BREAKING THE MERCH INDUSTRY MOLDStarting our first band on MySpace and proceeding to adapt and evolve our promotion techniques across a progressively-expanding spectrum of digital platforms, we came to a realization shared by many members of the music industry; we were losing touch with the experience... literally. The scramble toward the ease and convenience of digital music left us without the tactile element that enriches the whole affair of engaging with this art form.
We can confidently say that we have pushed this concept further than most by offering not only vinyl records and shirts, but limited-edition expanded deluxe box sets which have incorporated coffee, ceramic cups, bronze coins, wood slip-cases, vodka, honey, tea and much more. These are curated in the hopes that the once digital-audio-only experience can be replaced by something much more fulfilling and rewarding.
CJ
From an early age CJ knew that music was the path chosen for him. Starting a band in high school gave him the experience necessary to begin a new musical endeavor in college which he invited Wilson to join. The two would continue working together on various musical projects over the next two decades, each one requiring additional business infrastructure to be developed around it in order to facilitate the growth of the art in a way that matched the expectations of what a band should be.
CJ is the co-owner of A Thousand Arms and guitarist in RANGES.
WILSON
CJ’s invitation to join his fledgeling hardcore band would provide Wilson with his first formal musical experience and the discovery that there was much more required to bring a band to prominence than simply playing guitar.
Out of necessity, he began creating artwork for the band (albums, flyers, shirts), which led to increasing requests for design from other bands. This led to the creation of A Thousand Arms, which then went on to incorporate a screen-printing aspect as well as a record label to help realize and distribute the artwork being created.
Wilson is the co-owner of A Thousand Arms and creative/art director of RANGES.
LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS
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