Local artist J.M. speaks on vulnerability, Nashville, new EP copy

ADAM DELAHOUSSAYE Contributor

that feels a lot more tender. It’s jumpy, warm, almost soothing. It’s the kind of diversion that makes J.M.’s small yet versatile catalog so inviting. For new listeners, he’s chosen a rather intriguing descriptor to get people intrigued in what he’s doing.

“Emo R&B is what I usually tell people,” said the 22-year-old J.M. “It’s kind of hard to narrow it down to one specific genre. In general it’s kind of got that emo tone to it, but it’s rooted in R&B if you break down the musicality of it. The chord progressions, vocal runs and stuff. There’s also some hyperpop, too, so maybe call it ‘hyperR&B’ if that’s even a thing.”

As wildly different as all three of those monikers are from one another, they somehow all seem to take shape throughout what we’ve been exposed to of his efforts thus far. J.M.’s single “Paralyzed,” which was released back in January, takes the fervor that comes with alternative and hyperpop trends and slows them down to a more intimate, immediately observable speed. An ode to being lovestruck, the track holds nothing back in its delivery and presentation, yet it does so in a way that doesn’t feel in over its own head. Still, as J.M. would put it, “there’s a heaviness to it.”

Labrinth will come to mind for others in terms of similarities as it does for him, yet he’s not willing to paint himself into that corner entirely.

“I think it’d be really hard to listen to what I have out and right now and go, ‘Oh if you like that then you’ll like this person and that person,’” J.M. said. “And I guess I’m still figuring that out for myself, and figuring out my sound overall.” definitely here.”

As J.M. continues to navigate and iron out the kinks in his sound, he’s also been navigating through his new home in Nashville. Originally from Jamestown, New York, J.M. moved to Music City to attend Belmont University as well as pursue a career in music. While Nashville seems to favor its vocalists that order their BBQ with a side of twang, J.M. still feels that the alternative scene is one that can bloom alongside the city’s country roots. As the city’s grown in recent years, subsequently its reach into different genres has expanded.

When it comes to artistry, vulnerability is the name of the game for J.M. A lot of his more recent tracks detail emotion usually pushed to the back of the mind for the sake of sanity, yet here they find room to bloom. It’s a credit to good writing as well as a willingness to be as open as possible for the sake of gravity. Inspiration comes from where it’s expected with J.M.

Relationship issues, mental health and the whirlwind of being in your early 20s all play parts in the journey through his psyche. Yet it’s not the material here that matters as much as the delivery.

“F**king hate myself to death!” pronounces self-proclaimed R&B and emo up-and-comer J.M. on his newest single “You Said.” The delivery of this rather vexed line sports a demeanor

While stylistically varied, heavy is still the perfect blanket adjective to throw over the songwriter. In regards to his approach to production and delivery, he likes to think that the artist

“I feel like it is harder for the independent artists that do alternative things around here to be as involved in the industry on a professional level. I feel like we’re really gonna have to pave that way for ourselves,” J.M. said. “But I mean, if you were to research ‘top hyper pop artists’ right now, I think there are like three that came from Belmont. Like we have crazy talent coming from these little pockets. It’s not as talked about, this other half of the industry, and it’s hard to compete with places like Los Angeles, but the talent is

“My main thing is, if I’m showing you an emotion you’re gonna get the full extent of that emotion. ‘Paralyzed,’ for example, it’s that paralysis due to too much feeling. I think you’re gonna get a lot of that on this new EP that’s coming out, a lot of intense introspection,” J.M. said. His newest project and debut EP “Sorry, Didn’t Realize You Cared” is expecting its release to come at the end of the month. If this longerform project shares a shred of the sentiment that his few singles have, we’re bound to be in for a journey through emotional extremism, accompanied by a production style and quality that compliments the weight of feeling as much as J.M.’s falsetto does.