At only 19 years old, the undeniably talented Jimmi Herbert has earned his confident attitude. His fusion of underground hip-hop, bombastic 80’s pop music creates a mindblowing contemporary sound. Writing, engineering, performing and producing is done solely by Jimmi out of his bedroom. Self-man entertainer Jimmi Herbert is an artist to stay on the lookout for!
Featured on Jimmi Herbert’s 4 track EP “The Violet Collection” is the sultry single “1955”. Melancholic, echoing and alluring vocals flood the speakers on top of groundbreaking and genre bending musical arrangements. Like an 80's pop slow jam, “1955” takes the listener on an emotive journey. Jimmi’s more passionate listeners can recognize the sultry jazz undertones, the romance of the 1950s and a confident yet successful implementation of the psychedelic, stoner textures reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s best years throughout. “1955” allow the listener to escape into sounds from their past. The track features recognizable sounds from retro video games. The catchy melody of the track actually reminds me of an addicting ringtone I had on my first flip phone. Jimmi Herbert states that the beauty of his music is its ability to be interpreted differently depending on how the listener sees fit. We can’t wait to see what brilliance Jimmi graces us with next time around!
Check out “1955” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Welcome to BuzzMusic Jimmi Herbert! How did you get started in the music industry?
Hey, thanks so much for the opportunity! My pursuit of music was an inevitable side-effect of my personality. I really notice the beauty and complexity in the world and definitely consider art as a form of abstraction of those sentiments... I didn’t think like that when I was 6 however, which is when I started playing classical guitar, followed by piano and eventually full time studies in music between 16 and 18. That’s when I discovered my love for production. Asides from music I was always very inspired by literacy and by putting both forms of expression together I became a songwriter. I began to feel so tied down to a single instrument and my muscle memory in accordance to it, a blank logic file on my Mac could turn into anything though. It really helps me to channel my more complicated/ creative thoughts.
Is everything you do self-taught?
No not really, but kinda. I don’t quite believe in the education of art because an educational system requires regulation and boundaries. However, I did go to art school, it keeps you in a musical environment on a daily basis which is helpful. I would say that I’ve been tutored from a technical standpoint (excluding my singing) but creatively I’ve simply been inspired from where I’ve studied, it’s impossible to teach, hence why the arts are the only things safe from A.I lol.
What was the writing process like for “1955”? What’s the meaning behind the lyrics?
1955 was for my girlfriend, being a songwriter, the first few months we spent together was rich with questions like ‘when are you gonna write about me’ ‘was this about me’ etc haha. Whenever I write something new, which is everyday, I text her a bounce. On this particular day (about a year ago) she really loved the melody I sent her, which is the opening riff, essentially. So, I dedicated the rest of the track to her conceptually... hence the first line ‘of course it’s taken me a while’ lol. Yeah it’s just a massive love song really, the second verse diverges a little bit. I think I mention jungian theory at the end, so I probably end up getting a bit ahead of myself as per.
What inspires you to create music everyday?
Again, it’s a consequence of my personality. I’m quite an introverted guy and I’m pretty conscientious, so I don’t really talk to people and I’m always working, but I’m clearly very high in openness and so interested in everything. I don’t have many friends so I don’t get asked many questions about my life, you know? So when I do I can’t help but talk over-analytically and bombastically. So doing interviews, being on stage, putting out records really gives me a lot of freedom for creative expression, (which is why I value honesty, integrity, anti-censorship so much in my music) if I needed to be inspired then I’d get taken out because I wouldn’t be working as proficiently as I do. It’s a psychological/ biological necessity that I create music everyday.
What’s next for you Jimmi?
I’m putting out my debut single in August (I hope) and I’m not allowed to talk about what’s after that, but it’s extremely exciting. I’m looking to complete my live band so I can begin frequently gigging around London. I’m based in the UK so feel free to get in touch if that appeals to you! Follow me everywhere at some variation of @Jimmi Herbert.
Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks :)
Connect with Jimmi on social media
www.instagram.com/jimmiherbert
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