Jmsey is the new-ish stage name of a familiar face on the Sacramento music scene. He grew up in South London, Peckham to be precise, and relocated to Roseville as a teenager. A 2014 stint on NBC’s “The Voice” (as James Cavern) drew attention locally and nationally, which Jmsey recognizes as just a step on his musical journey, not the destination. Jmsey has taken recent inspiration from his bandmates, his friendships, and his past relationships to build a debut record under his new stage name.
“Music is a tool for me to process feelings and emotions and what I’m going through in life,” he says. “But it’s not the end-all, be-all, or the sole thing that brings me joy and success in life. If you put that level of pressure on anything, you’re destined to be never satisfied.”
Jmsey’s new “Moments EP” features collaborations with his bandmates from Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers. The “Moments” recording sessions happened in parallel with the production of “The Fall of Hobo Johnson,” due out on Sept. 13. Jordan Moore helped produce the title track “Moments” and reframe the bluesy soul song with modern electronic production styles. David Baez-Lopez plays bass on “Nerf Guns.” And Hobo Johnson himself, bandleader Frank Lopes Jr., contributed a verse to “See You Again.”
That song was inspired by Jmsey’s friendship with the late Ali Youssefi, the visionary developer behind the Warehouse Artists Lofts, where Jmsey resides. The song was written in a flurry of inspiration shortly after meeting Frank and after Ali died of cancer at age 35.
“I was just inspired to capture moments,” he emphasizes. “That piano part [‘on Moments’] was recorded in the basement of WAL [Warehouse Artist Lofts] on this janky piano that has become the iconic staple to the “Moments” Exhibit, and it sounds great. The whole writing process has been to just capture your feelings and emotions, capture the moment and performance, and that’s it. I know that there are lots of mistakes and technical flaws, but that’s kind of the point.”
The “Moments” Exhibit at the Ice Blocks on R Street at 16th Street will run Thursday through Saturday for three weeks in September, with a variety of shows, open mics, and community gatherings. The art installation will have four rooms, each visually representing a song concept from the record, with guest artists contributing to the design of the space. Jmsey’s “Moments” Exhibit will host performances by Beck Pete, Basi Vibe, The Philharmonik, Nate Curry and Soosh*e, and Jordan Moore, plus special guests. See the show details for more information.
For a complete list of upcoming solo shows, check the Jmsey events page. Jmsey will be performing with Hobo Johnson and The Lovemakers on the Fall 2019 Tour.