COVER SONGS: The Art & Craft of Album Design will offer a rare deep dive into the work that decorates and elevates the soundtracks of our lives. This event will feature presentations from three album designers plus an in-depth conversation adding up to an enlightening evening for fans of music and visual culture. When we think of our favorite albums, beyond the music we often picture the images & typography wrapped around the songs. Designers TOM BEJGROWICZ, NOLEN STRALS, and AARON GRESHAM will show how they create the designs that become an indelible part of the music we love. These Alabama-based designers have created album covers and box sets for platinum-selling pop and rock superstars; icons of Americana, country, and folk; and luminaries from the worlds of indie rock, metal, punk, and hardcore. At COVER SONGS, each designer will present multiple projects from their music packaging portfolios. Their slide shows will be packed with stories from behind the scenes and insights into their individual creative processes. A conversation among the designers and a Q&A with the audience will follow their presentations, all moderated by ANDREA PASCHAL (Executive Director of ThinkIndie Distribution and Coalition of Independent Music Stores, co-founders of Record Store Day). Local music hub SEASICK RECORDS will be on hand selling a special selection of albums: those featuring their staff’s favorite cover art! This event is organized by Graphic Designer Happy Hour, the monthly meet up for north Alabama design professionals and students. For more on this and future GDHH events, follow @graphicdesignerhappyhour on Instagram. DESIGNER BIOS Tom Bejgrowicz has been a successful Art Director, Designer, Photographer, and Entrepreneur over the past 3 decades including a stint as an in-house designer within the walls of the legendary CAPITOL RECORDS tower in Hollywood. He specializes in music packaging, books, and zines and has created works for BEASTIE BOYS, JOHNNY CASH, THE BAND, QUICKSAND, SNAPCASE, STEVE EARLE, DEADGUY, JOHN MELLENCAMP, EYEHATEGOD, FALL OUT BOY, and countless others. Throughout his career, Bejgrowicz has also accumulated a deep and celebrated resumé in the music industry: Beginning in 1995, he managed and created the catalog for THE MISFITS — including the RIAA-certified Gold coffin box set. While at Caroline, he acted as Project Manager for HOLE, BAD BRAINS, and more. Tom later headed up North American A&R for Century Media where he went on to sign the 2-time GRAMMY® nominated SHADOWS FALL as well as being named their VP of Marketing & Artist Affairs. - Among other roles, Nolen Strals is the Creative Director for post wave band FUTURE ISLANDS. He has worked with indie acts including DAN DEACON, BEACH HOUSE, TITUS ANDRONICUS, ED SCHRADER'S MUSIC BEAT, UPPER WILDS, and more. He illustrated the cover of JOHN LEGEND & THE ROOTS’ collaborative album "Wake Up!" for Sony Music, which was partially converted to a stage design by SPIKE LEE. As the singer for the band DOUBLE DAGGER, the co-founder of the design studio POST TYPOGRAPHY, creator of iconic posters for acts like THE WHITE STRIPES, LE TIGRE, MOGWAI, and more for The Ottobar, Strals was deeply influential in Baltimore, Maryland’s creative scene for 20 years. Now in Birmingham, Alabama, he is an independent designer who works across many industries for clients in the United States and England. - Aaron Gresham is a creative director with more than 20 years of experience shaping visual culture at the intersection of music, art, and design. A GRAMMY® Award nominee and three-time American Advertising Federation Creative Director of the Year, his work has earned more than 140 ADDY Awards and has been featured in The One Show, Communication Arts, HOW, and LogoLounge. Best known for his work in music, Aaron has created album art, posters, merchandise, and videos for artists including VAMPIRE WEEKEND, ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES, SHOVELS & ROPE, ERIC CLAPTON, MAVIS STAPLES, BOB DYLAN, and LONNIE HOLLEY. His work is rooted in symbolism and metaphor, creating deeper connections between music and meaning.