IAMJJ: “I create music for that split-second before you’re hit by the arrows.”
The young Danish songwriter – who writes and performs in English - takes on some of the biggest themes in his deeply personal songs. The melancholic feel of IAMJJ’s music, combined with the intelligence of his darkly humorous lyrics make it almost impossible to believe that he’s only 24 years old. Inspired by creative
giants - Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen from the world of music and Damien Hirst and Tal R from the world of visual arts – this hugely talented singer/songwriter is ready to walk in their footsteps.
”I write my best songs when I have done something wrong, or have something to prove. There needs to be something vital at stake - that point when you’re in a battlefield and all your friends are dead, and all the arrows are coming at you. It is music that is comparable to the last meal on death row. It’s when the ugly and the beautiful melt together,” says IAMJJ. As well as Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, he counts Madrugada and his fellow Danes in Sort Sol among his role models. Before learning to play guitar, IAMJJ spent time painting and drawing - which is why visual artists like Tal R, Damien Hirst and Hans Henrik Lerfeldt are also significant influences.
“Music must be able to extract the very essence of a feeling – it’s core. Pictures can do that - and they inspire me to write the melodies. I always think: ‘What kind of life is in the picture?’”
