Interview: Hamid J

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

When I look back, I think it was my sister who really got me into music. When I was 6, I would watch her dance in her room, sing along to Madonna and there was something so fun and soothing about it. I then got my first solo at church when I was 8 I think, and I was in LOVE. With performing. I was singing latin and didn’t know what I was singing, but I felt such a strong connection to the music. I always had this tiny ity bity voice in the back of my head telling me to prusue music but the logical side, was like, get a degree in business, work in an office and make tons of money. Well that tiny voice finally got so loud that I had no choice to listen to it and take a leap of faith.

If I wasn’t doing music today, then I would be a FIFA soccer referee now, getting ready for the world cup in Quatar, probably. :p

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I love hanging with friends and family – hearing their stories, journey and drama inspires how I see the world and really impacts my POV on so many important issues and topics. I also love to travel – when I’m in new spaces I get inspired to get out of my comfort zone which is helpful when writing music and coming up w new sounds.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I live in West Hollywood and I LOVE it here. So many fun coffee shops, good diverse and authentic food, bars, lounges, and the ability to be mostly myself. That sense of freedom and authenticity gives me the courage and confidence to keep exploring myself which ultimately explores my writing and music.

What is your dream venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

My dream venue would be The Forum or Crypto.com Arena. As an Angeleno I have seen some of my idols perform at these quintessential LA iconic venues and it is huge dream of mine to perform on those same stages.

I think “soon” I would love to play at the Troubador – that energy and space would be the perfect birth place of the “Hamid J live show experience extravaganza”.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Robyn for sure. Surprise guests would include Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, & Christine and the Queens. If Dua, Troye or Ari wanna be the special icing on that cake, then IM READY! (low key projecting to the universe.)

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Be yourself. Tell YOUR stories, Write music that touches YOUR soul, that moves YOU, that makes YOU cry, and makes YOU wanna twerk. If you love it, then others will too, But don’t chase the dust in the wind, for you will never catch it.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Be yourself. Tell YOUR stories, Write music that touches YOUR soul, that moves YOU, that makes YOU cry, and makes YOU wanna twerk. If you love it, then others will too, But don’t chase the dust in the wind, for you will never catch it.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Probably “No Labels!” and “Nothin Perfect 2 Say”.

I wrote “No Labels” to encourage society to not be to concerned with fitting everything into neat, tidy boxes and labels, When we remove the need to label and compartmentalize everything and everyone, then we give permission to ourselves to adventure, explore and flourish in new and more authentic ways. The first verse is also a reminder to myself to go more with the flow, especially when it comes to dating and relationships. Not to be so stuck in how ways need to be, must be, or has been, but let the moment carry you to wherever your journey wants to lead you.

And “Nothin Perfect 2 Say” was a brick on my heart that I just needed to unload, gently, through music. It was about a relationships that never ended but rather just languished,

What is the creative process for Hamid J and what inspires you to write your music?

I consider myself a storyteller first. Stories I either personally experienced or witnessed first-hand. These stories are like birds that live in my head – all they want is to be free and fly, so I write their stories to get them out of my head and into the universe. Hopefully these birds will connect with others.

Process begins usually with a musical melody or some hook that comes to me. I immediately record a voice memo cuz I can’t tell you how quickly I forget melodies and ideas. Then I re-listen to them and if they are still stuck in my head after a while then I will try and turn voice notes into demos. I use Logic Pro and my keyboard to produce a demo. I don’t know how to read or write music so do it mostly by ear, seeing what sounds good, and just playing around for a while.

I first try to find out what key a song/melody idea is in and see if I need to change it. Then I either start with the bass line or drums. Once I have both, I think of the structure of the song and explore instrumentation for the different sections, Once I have a solid demo, I export it into a MP3 file and start working on lyrics.

I sit down and see what kind of vibe the demo is giving me: sad, happy, angry, sexual, annoyed/angry, etc – looking for the mood and essence of the song. Once I have that I start thinking of what story best fits to the mood/vibe. Then I will sing gibberish just to get the vocal melody line going. Believe it or not, when you let yourself just go, you will be surprised by what you articulate (hooks, phrases, words, etc). I then take the gibberish and turn into real/actual words. I will then record scratch vocals and send the demo to the creative team. If they LOOOOVE it then we will work on it, produce it more, level it up, re-record vocals, add harmonies (which I am obsessed with) and then send it for mixing and mastering,

Tell us a bit more about your latest single “do you get this feeling?”

“effervescent dreamy summer love song”

You go on a date or have a night out and meet something incredible. They look bomb, charming, undeniable chemistry – just what you had been looking for. The date goes so well, that y’all spend the night together (oops). You both call out sick the next day, because you want that feeling to last forever. You know how you feel about the person, but you are not sure if they feel that same way about you, or if they are just being polite. So deep in your heart you wanna know: do you feel the same? Do you get this feeling?

This is probably my most joyous track off my album. I wanted it to feel care-free, top down, flirty, cute and just easy. Of course a track that folks can sing along to.

So if you are in love or want to project to the universe that you wanna get this feeling, then I hope you will sing/dance/sliv along!

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Be yourself; love hurts; dream big; stand up for yourself; know you always have someone by your side; we are not perfect and it’s ok not to be; when you recklessly break a heart then there may be a prize you will have to pay; be honest with yourself is hard, can hurt, but is necessary; letting go is hard but necessary; don’t be afraid to let your raggedy ex know what a loser they are (just some themes off my debut album)

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I have my first single “do you get this feeling?” off my debut album coming out June 23. I will follow that up with my second single “ain’t thinkin bout you” on August 4th. The album “cycle of a relationship” should be out mid-September (12 tracks all dealing with the different stages and phases of a relationship). I would love to perform these tracks live, whether at festivals or on tour. There is nothing that can replace the feeling of live shows!!!