Meet Andrea Hoang and Jason Edelstein | Co-Founder The Salt Lick Records

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Hoang and Jason Edelstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea Hoang and Jason Edelstein, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Our community makes our success possible. We started The Salt Lick Records for Denver, and we’ve been able to tell already that the people that make up Denver’s music scene really have our back and are rooting for our success. So many people we’ve worked with have asked us how they can help us.

Along with that I think collaboration is really important when you’re building a business in the music industry. There’s a lot of skills & services that we’re able to offer in exchange for other services, and every time we partner with someone we’re expanding our network and becoming more integrated with our community. I think it’s easy to assume that you need to view similar businesses as your competitors, but often times you’re serving different niches or practicing different skillsets.

We’re also focused on fostering a community within our label. Our artists are already working with each other, and it helps that they’re all fans of each other’s music.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The art the we make at The Salt Lick is a collaborative effort on so many levels. My favorite thing about filming live-sessions is watching the musicians communicate with each other. Playing music in a band is a lesson on emergent properties, and the failures of reductionist thinking. You can’t break music down to its smallest components, the meaning is in the context. A band is not an amalgamation of the musicians in it, but rather something new entirely— a chaotic and unpredictable reformulation. When we record a session, our crew, and the band that’s playing surrenders some level of creative control to the group. I can’t control what the mix is going to sound like, the rest of the crew can’t control what my color correction will look like, and we don’t get to pick what songs the band will play. We just hit record and wait for it to happen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
– Glazed donuts at Lamars
– Demoing (and inevitably buying!) pedals at Flipside
– Jazz Night (Monday) at Meadowlark Bar
– Check The Salt Lick’s weekly newsletter to figure out what local bands are playing that night
– Chile Relleno burritos from Señor Burritos
– Pho and or Bahn Mi from Anise
– End your night in a mosh pit inside Benny Blancos
– Papusas from Pupusas Olocuiltas
– Pizza from Cart Driver
– Heading to a show at Hi-Dive, Lost Lake, Globe Hall, Larimer Lounge, and more!
– Honey Elixir Bar for some of my favorite cocktails and mocktails
– Checking out and dancing in all the rooms at Milk Bar

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jason: I was talking to my friend & fellow Salt Lick Records Artist and crew member, John Baldwin, and he mentioned how excited he was about the next year of his life, with all the creative projects he’s been a part of finally coming to fruition. I told him I felt the same kind of excitement, and that it’s all happening because we’ve brought together the right group of passionate and driven people with a lot of gumption. In my creative ventures I depend on having people to push, and people to push me. The Salt Lick Records is truly a team effort.

I want to give a shoutout to Chris Voss, our lead audio engineer for our Songs from The Pond session. Chris has an excellent ear, and makes our basement sound like a live-room at a high-budget recording studio. Meeting Chris made it possible to get Song from The Pond started, he helped me build our studio, and volunteered to record, mix and master our sessions.

Shoutout to John Baldwin. John does a little bit of everything. Actually John does a lot of everything. He’s one of the busiest people I know. Anthony Fantano may be the internet’s busiest music nerd, but John is the world’s busiest music nerd. The fact that someone so talented as John is willing to help us build The Salt Lick means a lot to me.

Shoutout to Co-Founder Andrea Hoang. We take on a lot of big projects, and no matter how overwhelming they can be, Andrea figures out how to make them happen. No idea is too big or ridiculous for her, and she inspires & pushes me every day. The Salt Lick would still be an idea in my head without Andrea.

Shoutout to my parents, who are both successful business owners. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have the privilege of taking the risk of starting this label, and I would have never dreamed of starting a business of my own. They’ve shown me that there is no set path in life.

Andrea: Shoutout to my parents and my family back in Boston for shaping me into the person I am today. I can not fathom the amount of courage and fear you held leaving everything behind in Vietnam in order to build a better life for yourself and your future family. I know it must have been incredibly difficult to raise a child in a country that was foreign to you while also working long hours at a blue collar job to make ends meet. My parents started from nothing and emphasized the importance education and a strong work ethic. Growing up, I learned how to adapt, be resourceful, and be proactive about solving my problems. I’m extremely grateful for the life they have given me and the opportunity to pursue my hobbies, education, and entrepreneurial pursuits.

Shoutout to Jason. Thank you for always inspiring me to be creative. I know that your support and belief in me is what pushes me to think outside the box, learn new things, and constantly surprise myself on what I can do.

Shoutout to my friend Dan. Thanks for introducing me to the music and art community in Denver as well as many of the people I now call my close friends. You passing away in Summer of 2018 has been one of the most devastating events in my life. You always made sure to make everyone feel included, host events, and foster creativity. Your kindness and willingness to open yourself up to others are traits that I aspire to have.

Website: https://www.thesaltlickdenver.com

Instagram: @the.salt.lick

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaltlickdenver

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSaltLickDenver

Image Credits
All photo credits go to The Salt Lick Records