People collect art for a variety of reasons. Perhaps there’s some personal connection to the subject matter, or to the artist, or maybe it just looks cool.

It’s not often an artist shares their creative influences and inspirations, not just on a specific piece, but also on how they got drawn into the vocation in the first place. R•VIBE was able to secure an exclusive 4-part interview with Nicole Turmelle, co-creator of somepinDRTY, to gain more insight on a wide variety of topics — What makes her tick? Is she a collector herself, or primarily just a creator? What got her started off collecting? What was behind the choice to branch out and start producing her own artwork? — and discover whatever other DRTY secrets we could get a sneak peak at.

One thing was certain even before R•VIBE got to speak to Nicole, since December the only thing that fans have wanted to hear is — somepinDRTY is coming.

These four words have changed the Dirty Heads pin-collecting world in the past 9 months and have come to represent a culture that spreads far deeper than even she could have imagined. somepinDRTY has developed a fiercely loyal following through organic growth stemming from the production of some beautiful pin art inspired by listening to Dirty Heads music and living a “DRTY lifestyle.” Part of that loyalty is based on the stellar reputation that it is developing, and part of that loyalty is based on the fact that somepinDRTY is a really good idea.

That idea was originally the brainchild of Nicole Turmelle. It all started with the simple decision to get a vanity license plate one day. “I always thought vanity plates were cool,” Turmelle said. “Seeing as the Dirty Heads are a west coast band, I figured why not rep them on the east coast.” Little did she know that decision would lead to thousands of people repping the DRTY brand all over the country.

Having her vanity plate has allowed Turmelle to do what she does best; interact with people, especially fellow Dirty Heads fans. I love getting comments from strangers. Some think it says, ‘dirty hands’ or ‘Dr. Ty Hands’,” Turmelle said. “One day I was driving and a guy passed me holding a Sound of Change CD out of his window. Little stuff like that makes me love my plate even more.”

“To us, Dirty Heads aren’t just a band, they are a life-style.”

Nicole Turmelle / Sean Booth

After seeing the reactions to her vanity plate, Turmelle had the idea to turn her vanity plate into stickers for the Dirty Heads Drive in show in October. Nicole’s friend, Christina Leclaire Meyer, helped her create the stickers with her Cricut machine. Nicole showed their creation to fellow Dirty Heads super fan and collector Sean Booth, who had the idea to turn it into a pin. Despite only living a few towns away, they had never met until becoming friends online through their mutual love for Dirty Heads’ music and collecting. “To us Dirty Heads aren’t just a band,” the pair said. “They are a life-style.”

That lifestyle has led to a cult following and instant sell outs for every pin drop. Every new pin is met with consistent praise from collectors. It spawned a brand and image that is clean, ironically enough, and has proven to be in high demand at every turn. somepinDRTY has also started producing limited edition coasters, vinyl stickers, and have promised more merchandise is to come. The sky seems to be the creative limit for the somepinDRTY brand.

“This year we have seen so many talented people, artists and families expressing themselves through art,” Turmelle and Booth said. “We are two of those countless people that decided to find a way to express ourselves in a positive way.”

The most fitting word for somepinDRTY’s art though, is “positive.” Each drop has their supporters guessing what song will be highlighted and what new variant will become most coveted by collectors. Still somepinDRTY’s Facebook group is somehow not the typical salt mine that you sometimes find in other pin groups. At somepinDRTY one notices a friendly and engaging community that appears to form a seamless transition from fan to merch and pin groups alike – a caring group of people who tend to try to ease each other’s salt at every opportunity.

The group has grown at a rate that recently necessitated the addition of somepinDRTY superfan Kyle Cardinal as a group moderator. His presence has only served to extend the uniquely DRTY vibes that are ever present in the group. “(I) never thought it would take off…with just a license plate and a few stickers,” Turmelle said. “Every drop we hope for the best and the anxiety of it all is crazy.”

“She is one of the most fun and thoughtful people to be around.”

Alex Officer

But Turmelle’s brother, Alex Officer, thinks they don’t have to just hope for the best. It’s in her blood to be successful at projects like this. Her musical tastes come from her father, and her artistic instincts come from her mother. Turmelle’s mother used to paint, make stained glass and a variety of different types of crafts, and Officer believes this must be where her pin crafting and vision come from.

Their father used to play a diverse selection of music all the time when they were growing up. From Bob Marley and R.E.M. to Queen, Crowded House and Annie Lennox, there was always something playing as part of the soundtrack of their life. He even introduced both his children to Dirty Heads music. So once Officer saw what his sister’s creation was all about, he knew that somepinDRTY was destined for success.

“When she first told me, I shrugged it off to something that roadies did. However, when I saw her and Sean’s work I was blown away,” Officer said. “…They are just in the beginning of something great in my eyes. Her artistic sense for her work will help her to be successful for the future.”

During the course of any conversation, Turmelle’s softer side shines through, and it also shows when people talk about her. “We call her ‘Cole. We used to fight growing up, but now we are very close,” Officer said. “We speak daily on the phone. She is one of the most fun and thoughtful people to be around.”

In the end, it is all about sharing art and passion for the DRTY lifestyle for Turmelle and Booth. “While we both have so many visions, ideas and dreams that we always wanted to share with others,” they said. We had to find a way to make that happen.”

Join us on Monday for the first interview in the series #GettingToKnow Nicole Turmelle #TheCollectorAtAGlance.