Rising Music Star JMSEY On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

Don’t be afraid to change. Life is full of changes. You might feel one way a certain day or year, and then feel different the next. Time is valuable, so make sure that whatever you do, it reflects how you feel presently. That is how you achieve sincerity and honesty in art.

As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing JMSEY.

One sixth of the beloved Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers (as seen on NPR’s Tiny Desk, in Billboard & Rolling Stone), JMSEY’s quirky talents shine bright even in his solo moments. His latest release “Sunny Days” received acclaim from major networks and we can’t wait to see what’s up next!

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

My parents were refugees from Vietnam. They escaped on a fishing boat with others and wound up in England. I was born there and we moved to the States in October of 2000. I grew up in London.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I had always enjoyed listening to music. My sister introduced me to music early on with bands like Oasis, Blur, Nirvana. I then went on my own journey discovering new music and styles.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

It’s a tie between being a contestant on The Voice and joining a band called Hobo Johnson + The Lovemakers. Usher gave me the best piece of advice for my musical career. “luck favors the prepared”

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Mmmm. I was singing at a show and really got into a part of the song with a big note. I did the classic closing of the eyes, lost my bearings and fell off the stage.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m most excited about the releases I have coming up. I plan on releasing 3 more singles by the end of the year along with visuals. 2nd to that is finally dropping the latest Hobo Johnson + The Lovemakers record in late June. We’ll be playing BottleRock in September which will be a nice return to festivals.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. Diversity is a part of life that helps us celebrate differences between us all. It should be properly represented in art + culture.
2. Keeping this dialogue and visual open in mainstream culture is important to normalize diversity as something to learn about and be aware of
3. Learning about diversity is important to keep lanes of communication open and help people be more compassionate.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Manage your expectations: I used to expect so much out of everything that I did. Every show, every open mic, everything. Since most of the time I never delivered on what I was in my head, I felt like I was never good enough.
2. Don’t take yourself too seriously: This can often take the fun out of what you’re doing and make you over think.
3. Have fun. Always have fun.
4. Figure out your why. Why do you do it? For me, music is therapy and helps me process life. When I think of it as anything more than that, I overthink and get stressed.
5. Don’t be afraid to change. Life is full of changes. You might feel one way a certain day or year, and then feel different the next. Time is valuable, so make sure that whatever you do, it reflects how you feel presently. That is how you achieve sincerity and honesty in art.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Live life. Find things to balance out your life so that you don’t expect the passion in your life to provide everything. It’s not sustainable and I often feed insecurities.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The idea I have (without getting into too much info unless an nda if filled out) will help benefit foster children and education for children in low income areas.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My sister. She’s been my number one supporter, of at the very least, pursuing my dreams and passions. My decision to pursue music wasn’t a popular one in my family. My parents naturally wanted me to go after something more stable, and I did for a while. But I wasn’t happy. So I took a leap of faith and my sister was the only one from my family who was in my corner from the jump.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Lucky favors the prepared. When I didn’t make a team on The Voice, Usher gave me that advice. I’ve lived by it ever since. Thanks Usher!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I’d love to meet Madonna. I gravitated to her music during Lockdown. It got me through a lot. I think she unknowingly wrote the Pandemic / Post Pandemic Anthem of our time.

How can our readers follow you online?

I’m most active on Instagram: @jmsey

website: www.jmsey.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!