Interview: JSDavani Talks About His "The Melancholiac II" Album
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“Creativity is organic and feeds off everything. I think being open-minded helps clear out any blockages to free up inspired thoughts.”
Congratulations on the completion and release of your album "The Melancholiac II". Tell us about your creative process for the development of the songs.
Thanks for the compliments! This project was really organic and developed really quickly, in the aftermath of 2 previous projects. In Oct. 2023, a close friend had died near the completion of an album, FTCHRS, that ended up being dedicated to him. It also prompted me to immediately begin, complete, and release a project for my father (while he is still alive). That project, “Son of Man of Chair”, was completed in Feb. 2024.
After all of that, I was emotionally spent but still had some ‘leftover’ tracks and ideas that I continued to work on. I ended up a bit more depressed than I’d realized and ended up using this album to work thru a lot of different issues. “The Melancholiac II” definitely follows a similar progression that ran parallel in its’ own ways.
How long did it take for you to complete?
I worked on this project obsessively last spring, from March-May 2024.
Would you say that there is an overall theme or concept to the album? Also, what does the title represent?
The theme of the album deals with mental health issues, most notably depression/anxiety and substance abuse/addiction, all of which, I’ve experienced in my own life.
While working on this album, I experienced depression/anxiety, as well as the daily triggers an addict may experience. Instead of reacting in my life, I reacted on them vicariously thru the character I created, the Melancholiac. That became a cathartic and novel experience for me. The title is definitive, a Melancholiac being someone who is chronically depressed/melancholy. The II is an homage of sorts to Dean Blunt’s, the Narcissist II, an all-time favorite of mine.
The story here is that someone is bummed out/depressed. It doesn’t get better so they relapse/choose to use. The character goes thru all the motions- and emotions- the rush, the guilt, the denial, etc. before waking up/realizing they should do better. The story ends on an ambiguously positive note. That’s how recovery and mental health often is. Ambiguously tho Absolutely certain that Relapse doesn’t have to be the end.
If "The Melancholiac II" was to be the soundtrack to any movie, which one would you pick, and why?
While making it I thought about somehow creating a movie off the audio.. so this question totally reinforces that idea! Most movies about depression/addiction end dramatically with suicide/overdose. This movie would have to end on that ambiguously positive note with the character going to therapy and a methadone clinic, both of which still face an issue of stigma in society.
How did you get started creating music and what instruments do you play currently?
I used to play trombone in middle school band, and guitar in 8th grade. I learned all the other instruments in high school and got into experimental/noise scenes in college. I’ve continued building on things and embraced synthesizers and digital tools more recently, and to help create all these projects/stories.
What are some things/people/places that inspire you to create new art, whether it be music, or multimedia, and do you ever get "writer's block"? If so, how do you overcome it?
Creativity is organic and feeds off everything. I think being open-minded helps clear out any blockages to free up inspired thoughts. It also helps to have a variety of projects. I currently have 5 or 6 different projects lined up for release, as soon as this month (B.A.&the.G.S), a local arts exhibit in a few months with some experimental photography, and numerous projects throughout next year. OH and as of now, the Melancholiac II, the film, release date TBA (lol).
Tell us what made your friend Supreet Singh the perfect compliment to two of the album's tracks, " "a darker place" and "The Bottom :escape extinction".
My friend Supreet, I’ve known since high school. We went thru lots of times: the good, bad, and ugly. He’s someone I talk to often still after all of that and he’s also a poet/writer. He’s contributed some spoken word pieces to a handful of tracks. His contribution to “a darker place” is obscured but noted. “The bottom:escape extinction” came about organically and accidentally. I had changed the ending of the album after turning a corner/feeling better myself. We had recorded another version of that track well over a year ago, when I stumbled on it and it fit perfectly with the theme. We will continue to collaborate on future projects. Maybe he would even play the lead in the film version of the Melancholiac II.
Stream and Share “The Melancholiac II” on Spotify
Read our review of “The Melancholiac II” HERE
Connect with JSDavani: Spotify | Soundcloud