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LAWRENCE LINDELL (he/they) is an award-winning artist, musician and educator from California who works in many artistic disciplines, including comics, music, illustration, and mixed media.

He has written autobiographical comics including From “Truth With Truth” and “Couldn’t Afford Therapy, So I Made This”. His work covers mental health issues, blackness, and queerness and He has a forthcoming middle-grade graphic novel called 'Buckle Up' coming out in 2024 with Random House Graphic.

His latest graphic novel called 'Blackward' was released in the Fall of 2023 with Drawn and Quarterly and all your fave bookstores.

Lawrence and his spouse are the Co-Founders of Laneha House a small press publishing house built on the foundation of family, love of comics, zines and coffee. Projects include comics, graphic novels, art books, zines, music and cartoons, to learn more visit www.lanehahouse.com Follow Lawrence on Insta @LawrenceLindell



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VELVET CODE (he/him/they/them) is an International award-winning genderfluid Electronic Music DJ, producer, songwriter, radio show host and label owner from Toronto, Canada.

Firmly established as a producer and songwriter on the electronic and pop music scenes, Velvet’s music is heavily infused by the sounds of the 80, 90s and early 2000s. Most recently, Velvet has been called “The Drag Hit Maker” because of his work with Drag Recording Artists around the world.

Velvet was chosen to be a part of Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Billboard remix team in 2020, with notable remixes of Stupid Love and Sour Candy. Later that same year, Velvet Code launched So Fierce Music, now with a talent roster of 40+ up and coming LGBTQIA+ artists including winners of Canada's Drag Race Icesis Couture and Gisele Lullaby, and winner of Queen of the Universe Season 2, Taiga Brava.

Velvet spends most of his time working with up-and-coming artists to help them grow and succeed at becoming recording artists. In 2022, Velvet launched the You Do You Foundation which aims to help underprivileged and financially compromised 2SLGBTQIA+ musicians utilize music on their road to wellness. YOU DO YOU and TD Bank have a new music grant initiative for queer music artists and Velvet joins us to talk about it.

For more on Velvet follow them on Insta @velvetcodeofficial and to learn more about the YOU DO YOU Foundation and their music initiatives, visit youdoyoufoundation.org