PRIDE 2023

CELEBRATING SINCE '96

Jones Soda has been an active supporter and advocate of the PRIDE community since our early history. We celebrate diversity in our labels every day, but for 2023 wanted to offer eight artists their opportunity to talk about their journey.

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MATT GOLD

Matt Gold is based in Brooklyn, NY, where he divides his time between music and photography. As evidence of the democratizing nature of his approach to photography, Gold has no formal training in the visual arts. His first image, a picture of his cat on a Sony Ericsson Z310A flip phone, was taken in 2008, and he has continued to explore the aesthetic possibilities of that instrument. Gold’s work has been featured in numerous publications and journals.

@mattgoldphoto on Instagram

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LEFT AT LONDON

A.K.A. Nat Puff

Left at London (stylized as /@/) is the stage name of Nat Puff (she/her), a trans lesbian indie pop artist from Seattle, WA. First known for her Transgender Street Legend EP series, she has since built an increasingly impressive discography for herself, with her debut, “t.i.a.p.f.y.h.”, a genre-bending album about navigating life with mental illnesses. Besides releasing more music with her bandmate Holidaykiss as the duo WOW OK, she has plans to release three more albums over the course of the next few years.

leftatlondon.com

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MADDY HOLLANDER

In 2020, Maddy Hollander launched her YouTube channel by uploading her first video, discussing her experience navigating the heteronormative culture of sorority Greek life. The overwhelming positive response from young LGBTQ+ women across the country sparked a passionate flame in Maddy and gave her a sense of purpose. Since then she has grown her social media presence, making it her mission to show queer youth the beautiful everyday joys of being gay.

@maddyhollander on TikTok and Instagram

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NOAH BURGAN

Noah Burgan is a young transgender woman from Denver, CO. For as long as Noah can remember, art has always been a big part of her life. It began with the first “Starry Night” painting in Kindergarten and evolved into an emotional outlet and form of expression when she started high school. The pictures she drew became part of her voice and was the message she desperately wanted to be heard. Finding her voice in art has become part of her journey and her transition. 

noahburgan.com

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STACEY STARSTRUCK

Stacey Starstruck is a drag entertainer based in the great Emerald City of Seattle, WA. Stacey is Washington’s first and current reigning Mx. Gay Washington title holder as well as the current reigning Seattle Drag Queen of the year. She's funny, she’s flirty and she’s unhinged. You can catch Stacey Starstruck performing in Seattle every weekend at Queer Bar as well as in other Seattle surrounding area venues.

@Stacey.Starstruck on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook

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WOOLYBEARZ

Joe Klockowski is an artist and graphic designer based in Upstate New York, creating work under the name Woolybearz. Joe's art focuses on portraying queer intimacy in a delicate and emotional perspective rather than sexually charged fantasy. Using repeating generic ‘gay bear’ archetypes; he focuses on a composition of figures as objects rather than an eroticized body. Joe aims for an immediate impression of tongue-in-cheek humor while maintaining a deeper somber undertone; a narrative of sexual disillusion behind a whimsical façade.

woolybearz.com

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SUGAR DARLING

Shiloh Davies is a textile artist and costume designer based out of Seattle, WA. They first found inspiration in the local drag scene–where they began their sewing journey making outfits for their sickeningly sweet alter-ego, Sugar Darling. They’ve since moved on to designing avant-garde outfits for other performers along with immersive installations and photo backdrops. The majority of their work is made from secondhand materials sourced from local thrift shops.

@sugar.teeth on Instagram

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CHRISTOPHER LA FLEUR

Christopher is a queertrepreneur, cultural event planner and visual fine artist living and working in Denver, CO.  Four years ago, He founded his small business, Christopher La Fleur ARTS. In spite of the headwinds against queertrepreneurs in the marketplace, and against the well-intentioned advice of family and friends, he decided to give it a stab. His business has grown to accommodate product lines featuring original artwork and more than 800 clients on three continents. 

christopherlafleurarts.com