Interview with god.i.am

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

I have always loved music. Like most, I decided to play music. I'm a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, so writing my own music is rather easy for me. I play the drums, the bass, the guitar, some piano, and vocalize some. If I hadn't discovered my gift for music, I'd probably actually be successful at something haha!

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

I'm just your ordinary homebody...nothing fancy. And not to be dismissive, but I truly think about music and writing all the time, so my creativity is always turned on.

How long has your band been around?

I created god.i.am in early 2022.

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

I am based out of Eastern North Carolina in the US. And believe me, this fuckin place has absolutely ZERO influence on my music.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Being a part of the Doom Metal genre, I just wanted a name that did NOT have common words like "wizard, mono, green, orange, black, electric, fuzz, weed, bong, etc..." in it. So, as god of MY world, I went with god.i.am

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

I have not played god.i.am live yet. I'm going to publish the short story I'm writing that will coincide with the Occult theme of my Debut album before I play live. 

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

As a musician, I don't have any favorites. But considering it's pedigree, it would be cool to play at Whiskey A Go-Go.

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

Since that sounds like a hypothetical scenario, let's do that notion justice. I'd say god.i.am headlining, with Behemoth, Goatwhore, Machine Head, Monolord, Black Sabbath and Black Label Society. How's that for some hypothetical nonsense haha?!?!

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?

Keep pushing and don't let life get in the way...or before you know it, it'll be over.

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

Don't let life get in the way of anything.

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

Ditch.Pig (.of spells and curses.) means everything to me. While it does fit in perfectly with the overall story and concept of my Debut album, I wrote that song in honor of the most perfect being that ever graced this shitty existence...and chose me to be a part of that. She left me and this life way too soon, and that changed me forever. She is forever immortalized through that song.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

As far as what people have heard from my album, the 3 more sought after songs are Serenity,No More, Passage of the Damned and Daemon.Slave

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

I have been playing music and writing Dark Poetry for a long time, so that creative spark is always there. It makes writing my music and lyrics really easy.

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

Be careful what you wish for. Through the theme and concept of my album, Serenity found that out the hard way.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Well, that's an easy one, because god.i.am is my SOLO project. I (alone) wrote/arranged/performed all of the music, lyrics and vocals for my Debut album called "hanc aeternum, infinitum nihil 23.23". I recorded the drums and bass at a friends recording studio with my own drum kit...and I did ALL of the guitar work with only my 5 string bass, 2 pedals and my amp/4x12 rig. No computer sims or plug ins were used. I recorded the vocals after that was done. As far as conflict resolution, I just punch myself in the face and it's all over with haha!

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

Moving forward, I want god.i.am to continue to grow in acceptance and acknowledgement as a Solo Doom Metal project worldwide. A lot goes into preparing and recording a Solo project, and to be recognized for that accomplishment would be cool as fuck. 

Also, keep an eye out for my upcoming Short Story release. It will bring every aspect of my currently streaming Debut album, both known and unknown, together. Then, be ready for a second album release and a subsequent Short Story for that, as well.

My album can be found on Spotify, Youtube, Apple, iTunes, Deezer, Distrokid and more... Simply type my info in just like this:

Artist: god.i.am

Album: hanc aeternum, infinitum nihil 23.23

Facebook: type it in as godiam (those fuckers wouldn't let me use the periods)

Instagram: god.i.am_2323