Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Erlandson.
Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started Heat Death to connect the incredible artists that I’ve met over the years and help them create unique content and/or merchandise they couldn’t do on their own. I’ve been involved in the music/film/art scene in Austin for a long time, performing and writing music, working on various film projects, and doing other freelance creative work.
Since high school, my friends and I would make shirts for our bands with spray paint and stencils. Now I’m lucky enough to work out of a studio in south Austin with them, screen printing and sewing clothes for all sorts of artists and projects in Austin.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a fun journey so far, but there are definitely challenges. Starting a business takes a lot of time and energy, so it can be difficult to balance it with our other jobs and keep it all running. That along with competing with print shops 10x our size keep it interesting!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a print shop and artist collective. We make custom clothing, prints, and other media. We love working with artists to make unique items they couldn’t do on their own. We do small runs, one offs, and go further than other shops to tackle ambitious ideas and produce one of a kind merch.
We also offer other services such as design work, video production/editing, and music composition.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a hyperactive kid who always wanted to be a musician or visual artist of some kind. One of the games I would play with my two siblings when we were little was pretending we were in a pop band; we would write and perform songs for our parents with our colorful little toy instruments. I jumped around trying different sports and hobbies growing up, and one of the few constants was my interest in drawing and music. I moved to Austin as I started high school and by the time I graduated, I was heavily involved in the local music and film scenes. I stayed in town and still love being here; making music, clothes, and other art with my friends.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@heatdeath.us
- Website: www.heatdeath.us
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/heatdeath.us
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/heatdeath.us
Image Credits:
Blake Nelson
