Nostr notes by Joe Martin

Visiting the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacán ...

2026-10-26T16:35:33Z

Visiting the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacán

Release as premiere livestream and then as single tracks V4V 🤘 ...

2026-10-26T15:40:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…44tc
_________________________

Release as premiere livestream and then as single tracks V4V 🤘

Can't wait to hear it! 🙌

One of my favorite cities!

2026-10-19T18:57:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…37tt
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One of my favorite cities!

That's awesome, will take a look 🤘

2026-10-18T14:53:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…9enz
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That's awesome, will take a look 🤘

Woah, what is this? 😮

2026-10-18T13:47:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…kfx2
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Woah, what is this? 😮

Possible bug report. Sometimes when I open nostrich it ...

2026-10-16T14:19:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…tmth
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Possible bug report. Sometimes when I open nostrich it doesn't sync with my relays. I have to sometimes log out and sign back in to refresh it

Legendary!

2026-10-11T20:28:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…88sc
_________________________

Legendary!

Nearly showtime 🎸 ...

2026-10-10T18:17:00Z

Nearly showtime 🎸

Might be a stupid question but, can you create an encrypted back ...

2026-10-09T08:36:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…mwcu
_________________________

Might be a stupid question but, can you create an encrypted back up of peoples nsec with apple keychain or scanning your thumb print like that new Glow wallet does? Telling people they need to backup their private key to a password manager because if they delete the app, they lose their identity forever is a bit of a friction point

@npub19pp…p04j always sings from the heart and it always stirs ...

2026-10-09T08:16:14Z

Longy (npub19pp…p04j) always sings from the heart and it always stirs the soul

quoting
nevent1q…6078
I cannot wait to share this with you all.

#Timeless #music #nmnu

AmplifiedTunes (nprofile…n20d) Longy (nprofile…nek5) johntrumpet (nprofile…x6tj) Nind (nprofile…t4x6) Bitfest (nprofile…j6e6) Yojimble (nprofile…kd7v) City Radio (nprofile…6052) OpenMike (nprofile…7e4n) inpc (nprofile…vvww) Nathan Day (nprofile…gp2g) Angor (nprofile…k63t) G.O.L.D (nprofile…48hq) DuhLaurien (nprofile…jk5r) Joe Martin (nprofile…sy3r)

Nostr event nevent1qqsfj2u5jwmnyu79rjq0kfjlzr0cz232eusp25qykngesl0chcy3l6gzyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevcdc3dgv

2026-10-08T17:09:33Z

Long live the purple ostrich! :purple:

Bro, what has the ostrich done to you? :purple:

2026-10-07T12:59:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…t9gs
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Bro, what has the ostrich done to you? :purple:

Sucks if you rely on it for your work though

2026-10-06T09:47:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…law3
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Sucks if you rely on it for your work though

Great work!

2026-10-06T09:42:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…fe03
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Great work!

RIP 💀 #nostr or bust #nevent1q…tz08

2026-10-06T09:40:01Z

RIP 💀 #nostr or bust

quoting
nevent1q…tz08
The UK government wants a passport, a driving license or a face scan before you can open a new social media account. This is the same country that arrests people over tweets. Britain has jailed people for what they posted online and now the state wants to know exactly who is behind every account before the first post goes up.

The ban covers Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X, and it is expected to start in spring 2027.

Discord already leaked government IDs after it introduced age checks. There is no reliable, privacy-preserving way to verify the age of every internet user. A pile of faces and passports linked to social media accounts is a gift to a government that prosecutes speech.

https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-social-media-passport-facial-age-checks

Very slick, looking forward to wallet integration! 🤘

2026-10-06T08:42:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…a6nr
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Very slick, looking forward to wallet integration! 🤘

Buzzing for this release :grey: #nevent1q…xclz

2026-10-04T19:08:20Z

Buzzing for this release :grey:

quoting
nevent1q…xclz
🧡⚡ On Nostrich Marketplace, every seller gets their own dedicated shop. 100% free.

Thanks amigo 🙏

2026-10-02T22:34:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…6057
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Thanks amigo 🙏

Woah, thank you for the fat zap @npub1t04…53m9 ! 🙌

2026-10-02T22:32:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…apwk
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Woah, thank you for the fat zap Scrotus (npub1t04…53m9) ! 🙌

7 hours of driving and I arrive in Dartmouth for tonight's ...

2026-10-02T16:57:19Z

7 hours of driving and I arrive in Dartmouth for tonight's show 🤘

#music #tunestr

Cheers Matt, is this like @npub1ntr…xcpf ?

2026-10-02T14:59:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…v523
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Cheers Matt, is this like Nostree (npub1ntr…xcpf) ?

Thank you for including me!

2026-10-02T07:18:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…cqm0
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Thank you for including me!

This is awesome dude, we need more grass roots marketing like ...

2026-10-02T06:35:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…8x5r
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This is awesome dude, we need more grass roots marketing like this to purple pill people :grey:

Just wanting to share the process 🤘

2026-10-01T18:25:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…ap36
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Just wanting to share the process 🤘

Working on a new song with the new guitar called 'Sign Of The ...

2026-10-01T18:12:18Z

Working on a new song with the new guitar called 'Sign Of The Times'

Lyric (work in progress):

I wanna go back to the old ways
Wanna go back to the good old days
Look into your eyes with a handshake
Make promises that don't break

Parking tickets and speeding fines
Road rage across double white lines
Living day to day
Has it always been the same?

It's just a sign of the times
They say don't pay it any mind
Everything will turn out just fine
It's just a sign of the times

#music #tunestr

Love this! 💜 #nevent1q…w7zm

2026-10-01T18:05:09Z

Love this! 💜

quoting
nevent1q…w7zm
We made a Nostr zine! 🎉

Thank you for being a part of this 🫶🏻

franny (nprofile…kj5z)
Tanja (nprofile…xm6g)
existing sprinkles (nprofile…2zln)
Nostrautica (nprofile…dl05)
Joe Martin (nprofile…2yzn)
nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7cm0dej826t5dsezuenv0yhxgetkqyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqqs9vw4rqad40et7400gf39337zyv6vhfvxwr43c608n9as3jh9jjvg7fkpx3 (nprofile…kpx3)
AJ (nprofile…f0ww)
sifrant (nprofile…rdh8)
npub16k903v3yr7wx3w4ylkmkg68hkkkarrn7eaf295q55e2tz63e7jvss58n63
Freedom Tech Co. (nprofile…4tsx)
Nostr Dev Team (nprofile…u455)
Audeltk (nprofile…pc7p)
BitPopArt (nprofile…2d4e)

Print the zines and give them away at your meetup!
You’ll find the print files in the article.

naddr1qv…wwdu

Nostr event nevent1qqsznyj3gpfxh8uym2jvyy4ymqy8uel63n7pgmnlt3dxg50fv7quuzgzyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevc3xc2vy

2026-09-30T20:51:02Z

:grey:

Zaps sends and receives seem to be working fine now too

2026-09-30T19:18:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…23w0
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Zaps sends and receives seem to be working fine now too

Sorted it 🤘

2026-09-30T19:13:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…ywy0
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Sorted it 🤘

*in the UI

2026-09-30T18:03:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…jwv3
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*in the UI

I've never signed in with my nsec. Only with amber. I ...

2026-09-30T18:03:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…ywy0
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I've never signed in with my nsec. Only with amber. I can't see anywhere in the UK to enter my backup. Thanks for getting back to me btw

👀

2026-09-30T17:43:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…xmu7
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👀

Only getting this now even though I've uninstalled and ...

2026-09-30T16:28:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…07hl
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Only getting this now even though I've uninstalled and reinstalled 🥲

This is what I'm getting ...

2026-09-30T15:10:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…rsjg
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This is what I'm getting

There's a thing called 'Follower packs' that let you ...

2026-09-25T07:58:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…tre9
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There's a thing called 'Follower packs' that let you create or join a group of people with similar interests. I made one for just musicians, we should use it more on nostr. Social media used to be about connection with friends and now it's about consumption driven by surveillance capitalism. I hope nostr can fix social media.

Nostr event nevent1qqsvxh9wt7nrha58zfnjsdwlssnzd2944dedaxf4yn0dycxskl5lq4czyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevcddtjs3

2026-09-24T16:34:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…h8cu
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If you had to choose a new nostr mascot, what would it be? ...

2026-09-24T15:57:12Z

If you had to choose a new nostr mascot, what would it be? I'll go first

Elephant seal

Best answer gets a zap.

#asknostr

quoting
nevent1q…3mm2

My issue isn't with people sharing the music, that's ...

2026-09-24T14:06:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…fja9
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My issue isn't with people sharing the music, that's great. My issue is with people monetising without investing their own time or capital into it

Obviously someone monetizing your music instead of yourself is an ...

2026-09-24T10:28:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…0x6v
_________________________

Obviously someone monetizing your music instead of yourself is an extremely hypothetical scenario, but it's just to make a point. Obviously the music itself isn't scarce once it's on the internet and it's just a certain arrangement of musical notes and English words. However, the time you put into creating that information is scarce, human time is scarce. So someone coming along and taking that song for themselves and potentially using a big marketing budget behind it to make money from it is surely theft of your time which is a scarce resource. Surely you use government force to protect physical scarce resources at the moment?

I like the Rubber Soul album the best. Catching the transition ...

2026-09-23T08:37:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…vsl0
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I like the Rubber Soul album the best. Catching the transition from their early Rock and roll stuff to the psychedelic era

I am a Brit 😛

2026-09-07T18:55:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…y7hq
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I am a Brit 😛

Should probably be singing a song about waterfalls, but this one ...

2026-07-30T16:08:17Z

Should probably be singing a song about waterfalls, but this one will have to do. Can't wait to play tunes from the new record live in a few weeks time on this September tour 🩵

#tourstr #tunestr #grownostr

Nostr event nevent1qqs0mdgctx8dr4k5c5gxac5fvhagjkhrexauak0zlrsuzeqm4q9ejdszyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevccmukrg

2026-06-19T19:30:01Z

Longy is so fucking good! 🤘

Let's just say, I ordered 1000 units and I have to sell them ...

2026-06-04T23:51:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…ep37
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Let's just say, I ordered 1000 units and I have to sell them all to break even. Difficult but not impossible

I think the elephant in the room is that it's still too much ...

2026-05-28T18:17:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…yyc6
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I think the elephant in the room is that it's still too much effort for a non technical person to acquire bitcoin just to zap a few sats to their favorite artists. So we either have to wait for bitcoin to be baked in to all the current payment rails (might take decades) or a platform needs to bridge the gap with the fiat world making it super easy to zap from an applepay-like solution. Just my two sats

We need to figure out why more artists aren't taking a look ...

2026-05-28T09:11:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…yyc6
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We need to figure out why more artists aren't taking a look at this. Is it a branding issue, onboarding too difficult, or too technical? Etc

I've thought about doing it, but everything changes so fast ...

2026-04-20T17:10:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…0w86
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I've thought about doing it, but everything changes so fast it would probably be obsolete very quickly. I would start with downloading Primal, getting the self custody wallet with lightning address. Then logging into Sunami (nprofile…hwm0) with that nostr profile and publishing to RSS and nostr music from there, putting in that Primal lightning address for payments. That way might involve the least steps

Nostr event nevent1qqsqqqrgf33aphjsqlgkvkmz8rj7pfwhw0kvs8xdrd440sdpmjpm57gzyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevccv4n6d

2026-03-27T11:56:01Z

Wish phones would go back to using regular headphone jacks instead of needed stupid adapters. It's always breaking. Don't want to go to wireless headphones either 😖

@nprofile…kclk trying to pay someone else on Primal and getting ...

2026-03-21T11:52:26Z

primal (nprofile…kclk) trying to pay someone else on Primal and getting back this message. What does it mean? Thanks 🙂

Nostr event nevent1qqsy04u9cca0qup4v9q7wsfxlvwq9hlthu9f4nsvmeynnysd3sh8cpczyq5v5qvm0z6ffsj6nk3dv3vht2zsr3lfnvgnqtjuhe6gaevnljevcd07yve

2026-01-26T22:23:39Z

Instagram now charging $3.99 per month for an ad free experience or have your data harvested even harder than before.

Anyone else seeing this?

Need to get my crowd onto #nostr asap!

I think given enough time, every service will plug itself into ...

2025-12-22T20:35:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…34uv
_________________________

I think given enough time, every service will plug itself into lightning on the back end and value will flow freely between all the platforms. Until then, getting people to switch platforms to support a handful of their favourite artists is a big ask. Artists need to be educated so they can educate their audiences and demand change. Until a platform cracks the 'onboarding experience' for noobs to get sats in their wallets and zapping with one click, it's going to be hard recommending any of this to my live gig goers and legacy platform followers. Sure you feel the same

Cutting my album :)

2025-10-11T20:48:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…jm92
_________________________

Cutting my album :)

Ah Nashville... ...

2025-10-11T05:58:45Z

Ah Nashville...

It's slowly dawning on me that we're not going to fix the ...

2025-10-08T15:19:57Z

It's slowly dawning on me that we're not going to fix the current music industry... We're going to build a new one.

quoting note1gur…zydx
The music industry is fundamentally broken, but Nostr, Bitcoin, and the value-for-value model give me hope that we can change that and truly support independent artists.

It still blows my mind. I remember being at LAUNCH last spring, talking with dozens of musicians who were thrilled to earn just a few dollars for their music, because that was more than they’d ever received from Spotify.

We'll be successful, but it's going to take a long while to change an entire industry.
note1507…ehqt

I made $30 last night streaming from the studio with 20 viewers. ...

2025-10-08T12:47:01Z

I made $30 last night streaming from the studio with 20 viewers. That would have taken many thousands of streams on Spotify. Value for value is in a different league ⚡🎶

quoting naddr1qq…78xc

A Model That Needs Fixing

The way streaming pays artists today is built to serve everyone except the people making the music. The payment chain is bloated with middlemen who all take a cut before anything reaches the artist. Major labels, publishers, distributors, and rights organizations have designed a system that protects their positions and locks in their share of revenue.

Beyond that, payouts are often delayed for months, leaving artists waiting while money filters through various parties. And even when payments do finally arrive, the streaming model's reliance on pooled royalty payouts means the money artists receive often has little to do with how many times their fans actually listened to their music.

The result is a structure that protects incumbents, hides where the money goes, and makes it nearly impossible for most independent artists to earn fairly from their own audience.

This post is about what happens when you rebuild that system with something entirely different, using the Lightning Network and Value for Value. The Lightning Network is the payment infrastructure that allows real-time micropayments across RSS feeds.

If you're new to the concept of open distribution, I highly recommend checking out the Fountain blog on Rethinking Music Distribution to dive deeper into how it works.

How the System Was Designed to Benefit the Majors

When streaming first launched, the major labels were quick to secure licensing deals that would protect their dominance. These deals allowed them to dictate how money flowed through the system, ensuring they captured revenue before anyone else. For platforms like Spotify, this was a tradeoff: they needed the major label catalogs to scale quickly and build user bases.

The result was a system built around gatekeeping and control. Instead of simplifying payments from listener to artist, the model inserted layers of intermediaries; labels, distributors, publishers, and collection societies, all with their own cuts and reporting systems. The payout structure prioritizes these organizations at every level.

For independent artists trying to build an audience, this system makes it extremely difficult to grow sustainable income, no matter how loyal their fans might be.

The Broken Logic of Stream Share

Most people assume that when they pay for a Spotify subscription, their money goes to the artists they listen to. But that’s not how the system works.

Streaming platforms like Spotify operate on a stream-share model. Every month, all subscription and ad revenue is collected into a single pool. That pool is then divided based on which songs received the most streams across the entire platform, not based on who each individual user listened to.

If a fan streams your track 100 times, that doesn't automatically increase the amount you receive. Your payout is determined by your share of total platform streams that month. The superstars at the top who rack up billions of plays capture a disproportionate share of the pool. Independent artists with dedicated, smaller audiences end up with very little, even if their listeners are highly engaged.

This model:

Disconnects fans from directly supporting the artists they care about

Rewards mass scale and popularity over connection

Makes it extremely difficult for emerging artists to earn sustainable income

Protects incumbents who already dominate the top of the charts

It’s not a system designed to nurture creativity. It is designed to feed the top, maintain the power structure, and limit upside for everyone else.

The Delay Problem

Even once payouts are calculated, artists still wait weeks or even months to receive what they’ve earned. Distributors often operate on 60 to 90-day payout cycles, adding more delay on top of an already complex system.

This isn’t a technology issue. Platforms can track streams in real-time. The delays exist because of how payments have historically been processed and how many parties are involved in collecting their share before anything reaches the artist.

While streaming services pull in revenue daily, the artists who generate the streams sit at the very end of the line.

How Lightning Unlocks Real-Time Royalties

Now imagine something entirely different.

A fan listens to your song on an app like Fountain. While they listen, small payments, called sats (tiny fractions of Bitcoin), are sent to you right away. There’s no waiting, no complicated royalty system, and no middlemen. You get paid directly, in real-time, as people play your music.

This is the core of Value for Value. The fan decides what your music is worth to them and supports you directly. Unlike platforms like Spotify, where the stream rate is fixed by how much ad revenue and subscribers the platform collects globally, Value for Value allows each listener to pay based on the value they feel they’ve received.

Some people may choose to send small amounts. Others may choose to contribute more depending on the connection they feel with your work. The point is that value moves directly from listener to artist without being filtered or diluted along the way.

Boosts: Another Layer of Direct Support

In addition to automatic payments while streaming, apps like Fountain also let fans send boosts. A boost is simply a one-off payment a listener can send while listening. A way to say "I really value this" at a particular moment. It adds another layer of direct interaction between fan and artist that traditional platforms do not offer.

Boosts are optional, voluntary, and entirely fan-driven. They give the listener more agency and give the artist another form of direct support.

How to Set It Up and Get Paid Instantly

Getting started is simple:

Upload your music to an RSS feed. Use platforms like Fountain or Wavlake to publish your music so it can be streamed via open distribution.

Connect a Lightning wallet. Fountain offers an integrated wallet for artists, or you can use apps like Strike, which are easy to set up with no complex onboarding.

Set your splits if needed. If you work with collaborators, you can easily set up automatic revenue splits so everyone gets paid as streams happen.

Promote your music. Instead of defaulting to Spotify links, start sharing links to Fountain or Wavlake where listeners can directly support you.

Artists and podcasters are already using this model to earn real-time revenue from their audiences. The tools exist. Adoption is growing.

What Happens From Here

The streaming system was never really built with artists in mind. Payments are slow, the economics heavily favor the biggest players, and most artists sit at the end of a chain that extracts value long before they see it.

With Lightning and Value for Value, something different is starting to take shape. A system where artists can earn directly from their audience, where fans have real agency, and where payments happen instantly as the music plays.

This isn’t about crypto hype. It’s about exploring better ways to reward artists for their work. The infrastructure is here. What happens next will depend on how artists, platforms, and builders choose to push it forward.\ \ By theo (nprofile…c906)

Regarding digital ID. To think this will be something you can ...

2025-09-26T08:10:44Z

Regarding digital ID. To think this will be something you can petition away or try to negotiate is completely naive and missing the point. The government is bankrupt and needs to reset the currency. The only way to do this is to issue a new digital pound which will be replaced 1 for 1 in your bank account, which will be linked to your digital ID. This will reset the government balance sheet, effectively defaulting on its debts (in the old pound) and so it can start again with its reckless deficit spending. If people don't comply and adopt the digital ID they will lose their entitlements, pensions, child benefits etc. If you're employed for a company, you won't be able to get paid etc. Watch how quickly people will bend the knee if it means they can't feed their family or cash their welfare check. There has never been a better time to study bitcoin and nostr, the only tools we can use to have a shot at living in a free society. Onboard your friends, family, local merchants and set up a parallel system that doesn't even recognise the wishes of these power hungry psychopaths. Chanting in the streets with placards won't save you, but running open source software and using privacy tech will. Live free or die.

If one sat goes to multiple dollars then maybe 😅

2025-09-04T17:40:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…hy4p
_________________________

If one sat goes to multiple dollars then maybe 😅

Sold out show tonight in Peel. Let's go! 🤘 ...

2025-08-09T17:17:28Z

Sold out show tonight in Peel. Let's go! 🤘

Yeah, took me a while to commit 😅

2025-02-23T11:35:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…h486
_________________________

Yeah, took me a while to commit 😅

Yes, incredible! Have you been?

2025-02-22T16:05:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…66v2
_________________________

Yes, incredible! Have you been?

Yo, if you haven't already, go give Theo a follow and check ...

2024-12-04T21:09:53Z

Yo, if you haven't already, go give Theo a follow and check out his tunes on wavlake (nprofile…nrls). Thank me later 😉

#introductions #grownostr #tunestr

quoting
nevent1q…8fey
Very happy to be here!!

That could be a cool idea! Not heard the Grey Album, will check ...

2024-10-01T10:00:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…8kjd
_________________________

That could be a cool idea! Not heard the Grey Album, will check it out. Re the Jetsons, there might be something happening with that soon 👀
#sneakpeek