I.M the artist
It’s always great to get to feature artists I love and admire on my blog. I.M the artist is an artist I’ve been following for a little while and I did my best to support her since the release of her song “Bleeding Blue”.
She recently released her song “Tokyo” produced by Alex Dopierala.
I.M the artist has always been great with storystelling and visuals, and “Tokyo” is no exception. This new song is not just a song. It is Art. I.M the artist knows who she is and she continues to express her artistry through this captivating song.
“Tokyo” is out now :)
Artwork: Camille Calyssa
Hi! How are you? What have you been up to since our first interview?
I’m doing good thanks! I’ll be honest, it took me some time to re-adjust and find my bearings again after lockdown. I think we can all agree that this whole pandemic has felt so surreal from the start, but what I underestimated was just how overwhelming and strange returning back to “normal” would feel. I’ve been taking my time with it. It's felt really great to spend time with loved ones and to go out again. Getting back into the studio has been exciting too!
"Tokyo" is your latest single — what's the inspiration/story behind this song?
I’d literally just finished watching part 4 of the TV series “La Casa De Papel [Money Heist]” when I first started writing it, so that show definitely served as the main inspiration. But it expanded a lot from there. I really wanted to capture the essence of my favourite heist and action films. I started thinking about the characters that we connect to within those morally questionable storylines, and why we connect to them, and I wanted to create my own.
What do you like the most about this song?
Well, it’s definitely one of my favourite songs I’ve ever made. It feels empowering and bold. It also gave me the opportunity to integrate my two big loves in this life: film and music.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
I just remember the lyrics of that first verse coming into my head and from there, piece by piece, everything kinda just wrote itself. Slowly, the character perspective from which I was writing began to feel more multi-dimensional. Unlike most of the other songs I’ve written this track is less personal and more conceptual so that gave me a lot of artistic freedom to experiment with story and sound. When I got into the studio, Alex Dopierala, my producer, and I just had fun with it. We knew we wanted to incorporate samples that would add to the atmosphere and open up into a powerful mid 8 that feels almost transcendent. The objective was to really lean into the fantasy and build the song with intention, like acts within a movie.
What made you want to release "Tokyo" as a single?
I mean, decisions like that often feel more logistical than creative. We currently live in a world that best responds to short form media and I think that dissuades artists away from making larger bodies of work. Tokyo would’ve easily had the potential to exist within an EP or album in my opinion, but that being said it also felt satisfying to step into relatively new territory and give it its own space. To me, Tokyo, right now, feels like a singular moment and what’s actually quite enjoyable about singles and ideas like that, is that they can exist within their own right without any additional obligations to be expanded upon.
What can you tell us about the music video?
From the beginning I knew I wanted to create a music video that would help to articulate the story. I really dove into the rabbit hole creating mood-boards full of film references, colour palettes, inspiration for lighting and scribbling out notes to better understand the characters and their desires. At its core, I wanted it to feel somewhat ambiguous because lyrically, we’re dealing with a lot of symbolism. Whether or not these two individuals actually give in to their urge to rob a bank or simply fantasied about the possibility is up for the viewer to decide.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
The music industry and I have never really seen eye to eye if I’m honest. I think one of my biggest frustrations as an artist right now is observing just how severe the exclusivity and elitism is. They sell you on “hard work pays off,” without mentioning “-but only if you pay them off.” The reality of how impossible it is to get through the door can be crushing. It’s a money game and in my opinion, the quality of art that’s produced as a result of that speaks for itself. We value “products” and profit over creativity and talent. That being said I do think that this is something that’s reflective of our capitalistic society as a whole, not just an occupational hazard. All I can really encourage is that we keep supporting and uplifting each other in all the ways that we can — I’m still hopeful that the doors can be broken down if we keep being loud.
What advice would you give to artists?
Listen to your instincts. You know what’s what. Don’t let anybody shake you.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
That your integrity is everything. All that peer pressure that we think we leave behind in school still exists in the real world but now, the stakes are a lot higher. It can be tempting to conform or compromise in hopes that you’ll meet less resistance but you gotta stand firm. Don’t allow anybody bully you into submission. I care a lot more about protecting my energy and boundaries than I do about what people think about me. Your perception of yourself is really the only thing that matters, everything else is just background noise.