If you order a Chaise Lounge CD from Amazon or another big retailer, you’ll receive it from a warehouse somewhere. But people who don’t make and sell records for a living are often surprised to learn that the CDs and merch they order via the band’s online store are packed and shipped by yours truly, from a “warehouse” that doubles as my basement. If you also sell your group’s recordings, you can probably picture the shelves and boxes.

Selling CDs is a joy for me. It’s my favorite chore. I love filling orders for fans we have known for years, but I also love it when the buyer has an unfamiliar name. How did they hear of us? Are we in heavy rotation in Muncie this week? I always write a note on the outside of the padded envelope. We jokingly call our fans “Chaise Lounge Nation” and say it’s a small nation, but mighty. Each time I send off a note to a new CD owner, the nation feels just a little bit larger.