If cutting-edge, yet strikingly soulful R&B is your thing, look no further than JMSN. A man of few words who lets the music do the talking for him, he is one of those artists who can’t but reinvent themselves and break new ground with every release. We sat down and had a quick and dirty chat in advance of his debut Belgrade performance at Elektropionir.
Balkanrock: From being in an indie band in the early 2000s to alternative R&B. Why such a drastic change in style, and how did it come about?
JMSN: Growing up. The only thing constant really for me is change. I don’t ever wanna be stuck in a purgatory of any medium especially music.
Balkanrock: What artists inspired you to go solo?
JMSN: I’ve always been solo really. I like to be safe to express myself without judgement. Not be scared to make mistakes because of my surroundings.
Balkanrock: Your approach is a very old-school kind of cool. Stuff like D’Angelo, Maxwell – you know the type. But that’s basically vintage now. Are you content with the direction that this kind of music has taken in the last decade, especially in the mainstream?
JMSN: I’m not really sure. You’d have to enlighten me where its headed. I don’t really know.
Balkanrock: You’ve worked with Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul, to name a few. Any particularly cool collabs with people from that scene you want to mention?
JMSN: No.
Balkanrock: Are you satisfied with how „Soft Spot„, your last album, worked out?
JMSN: I’m satisfied with the piece of work I made, yes. If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have put it out.
Balkanrock: Given your drive to reinvent yourself with every new release, do you already know what you’re working toward with your next album?
JMSN: Yes I do and I’m excited about it. The album is written and recorded. I’m just mixing now and it will be done.
Balkanrock: In terms of organization, did running White Room Records afford you the level of freedom you wanted? Or are there still some insurmountable challenges?
JMSN: I believe that nothing is too great to overcome unless you believe it is. I will keep on moving in the direction that is the best for me and the universe will figure out the timing and everything else.
Balkanrock: Since this is your first time playing Serbia, what can the crowd expect? A full band experience? Or something else entirely?
JMSN: I’m not sure what they can expect other than me coming to play my songs. I really look forward to playing.
Find out more about JMSN and where to purchase tickets by clicking this link.
Source: balkanrock.com
