Feb 26, 2022

Artist Feature: Jimi Lucid

Words+Photos by: Avery Davis

Ave: how does your location of living in NY affect your opportunities?

Jimi: “I think there’s definitely more opportunity in New York. I think that a large draw for me to live in NY is really like the other musicians here and just the environment. I moved here originally for school and I dropped out but like everyone i met there was doing really cool shit like really awesome stuff and that was really motivating. I’m from DC originally and the change of pace was really cool for me.”

Ave: How did you start your musical journey and discover your musical inclination?

Jimi: “I think I was always musically inclined. I think especially as a kid most people, music is kinda your entire world in a way and I think you can really be enveloped in the music from a certain artist or certain band and I was always pretty obsessive about bands and artists. the music, the videos- everything about it is interesting to me. I think I was always kind of into that stuff and then I started making music in high school but I really didn’t start taking it seriously until a few years ago.”

Ave: Who are your biggest inspirations and influences that have played a role in shaping your musical identity; old and new?

Jimi: “I think originally, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Nirvana, Gorillaz, Kid Cudi. Now or definitely maybe in the past 10 years, The Garden, Enjoy, Lustic Puppy, Arka, My Bloody Valentine, Alex G, Cryogyser,

I am mostly really interested in new shit coming out right now. I kind of feel like for me growing up music had a lot of boundaries between the genre and the past decade how things have been mixing and there’s no more boundaries now. …I feel like there was major divisions made in the early 2000’s”

Ave: Do you work with any mediums aside from music?

Jimi: “Originally I was very into film and I have done most of my own videos. I’d definitely be interested in exploring that more as my career continues. I also think all mediums are interconnected. I’ve also done some styling stuff for photography. I’ve done some sculpture and I really want to get more into that in general. I'm also very interested in installations that involve music as well; made with a physical space to experience music and I think it’s an interesting idea. Honestly, I really want to get into film and sculpture more heavily, but right now I'm really focused on music.”

Ave: what's the future plan, some end goals, and are you happy with where you’re at right now?

Jimi: “I think right now I'm just focused on making better music and having fun and just like really just being present with myself in these kinds of situations. this kinda show- lowkey for me, when i dropped my first project in 2019 and i saw the Garden play with Machine Girl and Leaf and honestly that show changed my life; just seeing that you can be weird and do whatever you want and you can mosh and have a good time too. It really changed my view of music and made me feel like I can have freedom in being freaky and weird. I just want to be freaky and weird and myself and make cool stuff and hopefully connect with people that see what i’m doing and what i make resonates with them. I also want to make music for the past me that needed that. ya know? i think my end goal is really just to like connect with the people i know that are out there that give a sh*t what i’m doing. I especially want to play more shows and make more sh*t. I’ve been working on 2 projects now: a shoegaze cover and a drum and bass record as well. I am trying to solidify my sounds and come up with projects this year that are just more solid and really show what I'm about.”

Ave: Where do most of your ideas for projects originate, are they more spontaneous or are they planned?

Jimi: “I’m really into conceptual projects. For the shoegaze stuff, I basically start out with playing guitar and then some words start coming or a feeling or an idea and then I bring it to my guitarist, Tobias who also makes music, also Tobias really inspired me in general with their music and with what they’re doing. So yeah, I normally bring a song idea to them and they help me flush it out and then we do it with the band and the lyrics come from there. I feel process-wise, I like to fill my brain with as much sh*t as possible. I definitely like to read a lot, watch a lot of movies, see art- fckn just take in as much media and music and ideas as possible. I kinda think it’s a process; learning how/when to consume stuff and when to cut yourself off and really dive deep within yourself and make something out of the mix of things that you just consumed and then birthing something that’s definitely influenced and created by other things but also truly you.”

Ave: What are your top favorite songs right now?

Jimi: Backstabber- Dystopia

Redshift- Kraus

Sick-Cryogyser

Thread-Tobias

Boy Destroyer-Lustic Puppy

Thunderbolt- Colter of Deepers