Meet Heather Wilson | Community Manager, Metro Sessions

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, what inspires you?
I tend to find inspiration in those around me. I am inspired by people who are unconfined creatively, who look around, see what they have available, then make something unique out of it. The Long Beach collective GRN+GLD, AJ Mendzter of Living Room Sessions, and the Milkcrate Mondays folks all come to mind. Lately, I’ve been really inspired by the ways that KCHUNG DJs have been using their space in front of MOCA to do cool things on the radio. I also am motivated by people who build platforms that try creative things and also help people, like Spiñorita and the Made to Move crew. I still get inspiration from bigger outlets like Boiler Room and the Cercle livestreams, but not in the same way that a local force of nature can move me. I deeply appreciate music folks who are able to stay grounded in Los Angeles and be present for their community like XL and Moniquea of Mofunk Records, Austin Boogie Crew, Something Dope for the People, the Uptown Boogie crew, and recently, Record Store Meetup.

What should our readers know about your business?
Metro Sessions started pretty simply: I had livestreaming equipment because of work I did in digital media, and I had a desire to bring people together in my Hollywood apartment for vinyl DJ and art shows. In 2018, Metro Sessions did our first art and DJ show in my apartment, and we kept trying new things, streaming visual installations, photo shoots, plant swaps, and even poker tournaments. For more than five years now, we have come to every single first Sunday for a show (now too big for my apartment) and had DJs and a livestream with a different theme. Additionally, for two years, we’ve met every single Tuesday for open turntables, often trying new things there like speed dating, game nights, and trivia. The major goal for Metro Sessions is to be inclusive and aim for ever-expanding flexibility. This approach has allowed us to meet so many great people, and during Covid, we were livestreaming on Twitch every day, trying even more new approaches. Now, we are a combination of our online and in-person communities, and the vision has started to expand to include transit activism, fundraising, and even new cities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think Los Angeles is best seen by Metro! We miss so much when we’re riding around in the car. I would take my friend on the number 4 bus to Delicious Pizza on Sunset, all through Silverlake, and down to Melody Lounge in Chinatown for a drink. We’d take the E line record shopping to Sonido del Valle in Boyle Heights and On Maritime in Highland Park. We’d also need a day on the B line to check out Amoeba and As the Record Turns, then get to Macarthur Park and downtown. Plenty of people will take my friend to see the sights; I want to take my friend to see the streets!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Metro Sessions wouldn’t exist without the support of LA livestreamers way back in 2018 when we got started. When I moved to LA, I met the folks at Activate LA and specifically, Ray Phunk, who was doing a lot of livestreaming and thinking about it differently. When I told him my idea for Metro Sessions, he showed me so much love and was kind enough to show me how to get it off the ground. I am forever grateful to him! Also, in the beginning, DJs Heart Pressure, Honey Touch, and P.hazeone helped me find other great DJs and artists to get started, and they are still active in Metro Sessions today! Over the years, local creatives like Spiñorita and the folks at Virgil Normal have boosted us and helped us find other brilliant Angelenos to be involved. They really helped me find more people who wanted to join us and before I knew it, we were a pretty large community of people. The people who stay involved keep Metro Sessions successful. I have been so fortunate to collect some of the kindest, most dedicated friends in our net over the years, and their kindness and passion are key to keeping the shows moving.

Website: www.metrosessions.live

Instagram: www.instagram.com/metrosessions

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

Other: www.twitch.tv/metrosessions

Image Credits
All photos by Jamtop Studios except the black and white one labeled “hdubs” which is by Julio Bustamante