Yeah, Emily has a gift for communicating authenticity and a simple and direct strength that is evident in her music, her lyrics, and in her written word. Her response above is no exception. I support every word of it 
So to answer @grey, I’ll do my best here…
I love Commend and RVNG. Friends of mine have had different types of connections with them over the past decade+ and I resonate a lot with their output. Truthfully, I’ve listened to Visible Cloaks probably more than any other music these past couple years.
So when Emily asked me to play at Commend over the summer I was elated. Playing with Emily = 
and playing at Commend = . And being a part of a cassette series where they document it and release it = 
But yeah, I was surprised to find out how small and tight it would be kept, but didn’t feel that I was in a position to tell Commend how to do their part. Despite producing YouTube videos consistently for four years I’ve never actually released an album, so I’m still very green in some ways.
And so I promoted it the way it was set up. I leaned into the limited run thing hoping that those who really wanted it would be able to get a copy and all would be good. But I underestimated the level of interest and didn’t realize how such a limited supply could alienate so many others. Do I wish I had the foresight to downplay the scarcity vibe as Emily did? Perhaps. Whatever the case, it’s been a learning experience that I’m still processing.
About other labels, that’s not the point for me. This release grew out of Commend. It emerged from the opportunity to have a magical afternoon at an in-store event. And we packed the house that day. People flowed out of the doorway and onto the sidewalk. And the energy in the room was 
. I’m so grateful to Commend and Emily and all the people who attended that day and gave us their full attention to go on such a journey together.
This release is a documentation of that experience. I’m now feeling some relief that it’ll get a proper digital release so that we can allow it to expand. The music on this tape means a lot to me and I want people to be able to come along for the ride in their own time and space.
And the prospect of a second edition is promising. Do I wish that more than 150 total cassettes were to be released? Sure. Would I know what sort of number to choose? No. Again, I’m a Golden Retriever sitting at a desk.
That said, I’m fixing to self-release some music this spring and will need to figure that sort of stuff out. I’m specifically not choosing to work with a label due to the nature of the project. It’s music that was made for myself over a period of time so it feels natural to self-release it. And I won’t play the scarcity card for it. I’ll likely start with a small run that can match my funding and take from there. Baby steps.
