With tour season in full swing and summer vacations winding down, R•VIBE was lucky enough to catch up with Dirty Heads super collector Nicole Turmelle for an exclusive interview series via email and live chat. Turmelle graciously  provided a glimpse into her approach to collecting and what led her to be a collector in the first place.

Make sure you check back in with www.RVIBEMedia.com, a community for music and art inspired by California Reggae, on Thursday, August 5 for the next part in our exclusive series #GettingToKnow Nicole Turmelle – #TheCollector In Depth.

This interview has been lightly edited for content and clarity.

R•VIBE What is the most common band in your collection?  Are they your favorite band?
NT DIRTY HEADS!! Yes, they are my favorite band!

R•VIBE What is your preferred type of merchandise to collect?  (Pins, Prints, Vinyl, Etc.)
NT  Posters, but I collect all things Dirty Heads.

R•VIBE Who is your favorite artist (Pin, Poster, etc.) and why?
NT I have too many favorites. Luke Martin, Brian Ewing, Dave Foral, ZazzCorp etc. I am mostly drawn to their difference in interpretations of Dirty Heads. They all bring something different to the table. As far as pin artists, Danny Steinman is my favorite.

R•VIBE How old were you when you first got into collecting? And what did you start with?
NT Oh man, the collections… My earliest collections growing up were porcelain dolls, Barbies, Breyer horses, Calico Critters, POGs and Beanie Babies.

Christmas 1997 (I was 12), my dad bought a Teen Bop magazine as a joke and put it in my stocking. Little did he know what was about to unfold.

January 1,1998 – The BOY BAND craze!!

Hanson (I must have a thing for guys in bands with long hair), N*Sync and Backstreet Boys. I had to have all the magazines. My room was plastered with posters, they were literally wallpaper. These bands were my life.

I remember my mom getting me tickets from her work to see Hanson. The seats were in the nosebleed section, but she made it happen for me. That meant the world to me. My dad is my ride or die concert buddy. He took me to see Hanson easily 6+ times, N*Sync 4+ times (even got to see Britney and say “hi”), and BSB 3+ times.

In 2003, I got to meet Hanson in Boston at the Avalon on Lansdowne St., now known as the House of Blues. It was on the later side of my infatuation, but nonetheless, cool as hell. They were so kind and gorgeous (obviously). From that first magazine until late 2003, I managed to collect posters, CDs, ticket stubs, VHS recordings, tape recordings, bobble heads, and a lifetime of memories.

R•VIBE What drew you to Dirty Heads in the first place?
NT My Dad has influenced me musically all of my life. I grew up listening to Bob Marley, R.E.M., STP, Annie Lennox, Nirvana, Neil Young, UB40, Grant Lee Buffalo etc.

The first time I was introduced to Dirty Heads was in 2013 at my Dad’s house. He was like, “you need to hear this band”. So I listened and said, “Not really a fan.” (Shocking, I know.) Pretty sure, it was “Check the Level” playing. No lie, two weeks later I text my dad asking what the name of that band was. I still have his “Cabin By The Sea,” “Any Port,” and “Phantoms” CDs. Here we are 8 years, 17 shows (more later this year) and countless items of merch later. I am so grateful to my dad for getting me into Dirty Heads. Without him, I wouldn’t have met all of my Wicked & Wylee, Medusa Marketplace, SomepinDRTY, RVIBE fam. 

R•VIBE What drew you to Luke Martin in the first place?
NT All the lines!! Luke Martin is extremely talented in my opinion. After the Octobox was released, I had to keep following his art. Other than my Octobox Test Print 10, 209 W. Sunset Avenue is by far my favorite by him. It’s hard not to love most of the artists that represent your favorite band.

Be sure to check back on Thursday August 5th when R•VIBE’s Brian Kimball, Randi Cheeseman, and Buckie Wells will have an exclusive group chat #GettingToKnow Nicole Turmelle #The CollectorInDepth.