Boston's own Alternative Singer/Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Alimorad captures nothing but independence with his latest hit, "Lucky Me."
The first anniversary of Jamie's album "This Is Tomorrow Calling" is quickly approaching. A couple of tracks off the project landed him a variety of nominations while winning Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year in the 24th annual U.S.A. Songwriting Competition.
His recent hit "Lucky Me" alongside his adorably animated lyric video serves optimism at its finest. Jamie Alimorad sings a tale of moving forward from complicated relationships and discovering himself again with a compelling need for independence. With easy-listening instrumentals and an alternative-folk approach, Jamie Alimorad easily inspires others to remember what brings them joy without finding it in others.
"Lucky Me" begins with a cheerful mid-tempo beat and a slight blend of jazz and folk instrumentals, creating a very easy space for the listener's ears to stay peeled. While the animated lyric video pushes through with cute edits sketched out in black and white, Jamie Alimorad's vocals take the track into this unbothered space where he begins to value his independence again.
The instrumentals are incredibly groovy with each drum pattern, and the overall natural feel that his acoustic guitar effortlessly delivers. Singing a story of meeting someone just to part ways with them, Jamie Alimorad brings a refreshing take on a break-up with "Lucky Me," while continuing to inspire others through his bright and motivational music.
Hey Jamie, and welcome back to BuzzMusic. Since your previous interview with us, what's been keeping you busy these days? How do you find inspiration to keep making music during these unnerving times?
When this madness started, I was very much doing everything I could to keep myself busy. My tour was canceled, and suddenly I had all this extra time. I decided to go back to basics. All the rudimentary exercises on piano and guitar, and extra focus on playing and singing simultaneously, which is something I don't do a lot in a live show. It was refreshing, and it allowed me to pick myself apart constructively. I did a lot of writing in April, but almost entirely music. I still haven't found much energy to write lyrics. I'm still figuring out what I want to say. I noticed I was putting more pressure on myself to be creative, instead of letting it flow, so I've allowed myself to just be. There are no deadlines, there's nothing scheduled, just go with it.
Regarding your song "Lucky Me," why did you want to share a song that highlights the bright side of a break-up, rather than simply wallowing in sadness?
"Lucky Me" was therapy. I had gone through a bad breakup and I was angry. I had my heart ripped out, and I had so much pent up inside. One day it just poured out. The original lyric is even more exaggerated and much longer, and boy did it feel good to get it out. I shared it with a friend who was like, "Damn! You even ripped her dog!" I was really angry. Once I got the raw emotion out, I was able to chisel at it to get it to the final lyric you hear on the recording. There's a comedy in tragedy, and life goes on. Why continue to be sad? I let my negative emotions out in the first draft, then I could do it level headed and have a little fun with it.
How did you come up with the cute concept for the song's lyric video? Did you collaborate with any animators for the video?
My friend Ilana Schwartz is an incredible artist and animator. We met at a private Nintendo event a few years ago, and she brought in this coffee cup that she drew the entire Smash Bros. roster on. A Java Doodle. It was unbelievable! We've remained close friends, and she now works for Disney. She has her own comics and cartoon, and I told her I wanted to do a lyric video together. "Lucky Me" is a New York song, and it doesn't get much more New York than a coffee cup, so I said why not turn the characters into Java Doodles? It's the perfect image for the lyrics. She had the idea to add a layer of live footage in the background, which Zack Morrison filmed, and bam! Lyric video!
Since the release of your latest album This Is Tomorrow Calling, have you noticed much growth in your following and fanbase? How do you plan on keeping your listeners entertained for the long run?
There's been a HUGE growth in my streaming numbers! The album is rapidly approaching 500,000 streams on Spotify alone! Sales have been strong, and it certainly doesn't hurt that "Brighter Days" won Song of the Year and Best Pop Song in the 2019 USA Songwriting Competition, and "Not Ready To Say Goodbye" received a 2019 Hollywood Music In Media Award nomination for Best Male Vocal. I've been more active on social media, and I'll be posting more performance stuff. I stayed away from that at the beginning of lockdown because everybody was doing it, but now I feel I really want to get some stuff out there. My originals and covers.
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020?
2020 has shown me just how precious life is. We're fortunate enough to live in a free nation, and it's easy to get spoiled in Southern California. All those things you say, "Eh, I'll do it tomorrow," Don't. The world was functioning, and then it all just stopped. Where do we go from here? How do we learn from this? I've spent the time really learning about myself, really understanding who I am. It's been enlightening, invigorating, and exceptional. Change and growth start with the individual. I only want the best me out there. That's my drive. That's my inspiration.