From ‘Jimmy Jaundice’ to Jimmy Khan

The singer-songwriter discusses his journey to Coke Studio, the underground music scene and future prospects.

KARACHI:

The musician who’s now a recurrent household name and a Coke Studio star with a band under his belt, was born Hasan. There’s a fascinating tale on how the man with the mesmerizing voice acquired his current surname. After being diagnosed with jaundice in school, he started to be referred to as “Jimmy Jaundice” — a title that stuck with him ever since. As regards to the name designated to the band, Jimmy Khan & The Big Ears, he said that it’s linked with a pun of sorts.

“I wanted to give my associated act a collaborative title so I named them The Big Ears. The title itself is a pun as not only do big ears relate to sound but also to the fact that I have big ears,” the singer-songwriter tells The Express Tribune.

Melodica, and ukulele — with the unique instruments they play, Jimmy Khan & The Big Ears bring a fresh delicacy to the table with their inimitable approach to music.



In his debut performance on Coke Studio, the singer performed a delightful rendition of the Benjamin Sister’s song Gaari Ko Chalana Babu along with Rahma Ali, where they married the lyrics of the song with that of Nadiya.



He said that he was initially “taken aback” by Strings’ decision to turn Nadiya into a collaboration, but it was pleased with the final outcome as “not only did Rahma’s voice blended with the song but was also on the same key.”



Apart from their appearance on Coke Studio, Jimmy Khan & The Big Ears are known for their unique music videos for singles such as Nadiya. Jimmy says that it is possible that “you may find influences of Wes Anderson in my work,” a director he admire very much.

“I’m not a visual guy but when I convey my vision to the director it is possible that subconsciously I want something similar to the works of Wes Anderson,” remarked Jimmy.



Regarding his future plans, the artist would like to stick to releasing singles for now and will be working on more artist collaborations.

“I don’t plan on releasing an album for now but will compile a body of work which I will present to record labels if they approach me to release an album, otherwise I’m also exploring the possibility of digital distribution,” claimed the front man singer.

Jimmy, who is a product of the Lahore underground music scene has been performing since the age of thirteen; initially starting out as a solo artist.

“I used to play gigs here and there and gradually started singing in restaurants and schools,” he said.

Playing for the ‘Cover Band’ gave him a greater exposure to the music world. He got to perform alongside prominent musicians like Meekal Hasan and Omran Shafique and in addition, acquired his first taste of the rehearsal room, which gave him a clearer view of his strengths and weaknesses as a musician.

“Not only did I get to cover songs of artists that had influenced my music but in the process got a chance to play in a band which allowed me to better understand the dynamics of a band,” concluded Jimmy.

While comparing the underground music scene of the present to that of the time when Jimmy was starting out, he said while there’s no dearth of talent, the culture itself is at a decline.

“The talent is there but the frequency of performances has declined. You see a lot of good acts coming through but unfortunately there aren’t enough avenues for them anymore. Musicians now do things on their own initiative,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2014.

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