JWhale & JimmyG ft: Alissa May - Relations (Official Video) + 10 Questions

Having performed extensively with TULU Presents on the 2019 Heatwave Tour and having a pre-release version of the single featured as Track of the Week on BBC Introducing Coventry, Whale & JimmyG released their debut single 'Relations', featuring Alissa May on Friday the 11th of March on all major streaming platforms.

Influenced by the likes of The Streets, Calvin Harris, A Tribe Called Quest, MJ Cole and Flying Lotus, Whale & JimmyG are a self-produced future Garage and Hip-Hop duo based in the Midlands. They combine energetic and colourful beats with reflective and unashamedly British lyricism to create a unique and accessible sound.

'Relations' is a New UK Garage banger with an ear-worm of a hook performed by Alissa May and meticulous production from Whale & JimmyG themselves. The nocturnal sound of the track paints the image of nights spent in university bars. Whale's fast-paced lyricism serves as an internal monologue as he battles with his reluctance to romantically commit to someone, due to fear of the unknown.

Whale & JimmyG sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

JimmyG: I’ve been playing piano and keys for most of my life - my gran started teaching me piano when I was about 5 or 6 and I think is the main catalyst for my passion for music. I started producing Boom-Bap beats on Garage Band around age 13-14 as I was really into High Focus Records and other UK Hip-Hop at the time and it was from that point that I got really interested in the music production side of things. I started closely following recent releases around age 16 and this helped expand my music taste to a wider variety of genres. I keep an eye on new stuff that’s coming out each week and try to listen to an album every day.

JWhale: I first got into music through my dad’s CD collection. My dad always had a very diverse music taste and used to burn a lot of his own compilation CDs for us to listen to in the Ford Urion on the way to school. Often there was no way of skipping through tracks so I’d end up listening to them back to front every time, so you’d end up memorising them all and really listening to all the details. I started producing around the age of 14 and rapping soon after as a joke at first to show my mates, but slowly it became something that I really enjoyed doing.

Me and JimmyG met in school and kept in contact throughout uni, continuing to send each other beats and music projects we were working on. We're very glad we didn’t release anything throughout this time as most of the music was very lame! When uni ended we became housemates and started trying to merge our sounds. We have a wide music taste between us so that helps when trying to come up with new ideas! We try to borrow elements from a range of genres and re-contextualise them within our own sound.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

JWhale: Both of us have always loved Gorillaz. The way Damon Albarn manages to weave all these features and sounds into a cohesive project is amazing and it's something we'd like to emulate if we ever got into a position where we could collaborate with a lot of respected artists.  The Streets has always had an influence on our sound, especially the way he conveys his character through how he speaks and his lyrical style. Dizzee Rascal was always a favourite growing up. MJ Cole as well. Recently we have been listening to a lot of Boards of Canada and Burial.

JimmyG: Honourable mention has to go to Carly Rae Jepsen, she’s a queen. We’re inspired by quite a lot of pop music - we like the immediacy of it and have a lot of appreciation for the songwriting and production. It takes a lot of effort and skill to right melodies and lyrics that stick and that is what we are trying to implement in our music at the moment.

3.  What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

Currently we are planning to release a few more singles before we release our first EP. We've been working on a lot of music over the last year for both ourselves and other artists, and we feel that our sound has evolved as a result. We've put a real effort into the production for the EP with live instrumentation and features so we can’t wait to drop it! At the moment we are looking to release this before the end of year.

4. How would you describe your sound?

Our sound is usually quite energetic but often the lyrics are reflective and we try to tell a story. All of our music is produced by ourselves in our living room, and we want to communicate this DIY aesthetic in our sound. We tend to focus on the rhythm and groove of the track first and foremost, and this usually informs the direction of the track. The drums are often inspired by UK Garage, but we are trying to expand our sound for the upcoming EP while still keeping it cohesive.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

Our first single ‘Relations’ was given track of the week on BBC Introducing Coventry which was a big moment, and hearing it on radio was mental. We have spent so long learning to mix our music and trying to improve, so getting our first track out there was huge for us!

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Try to stay true to yourself and your ideas. If you like it, hopefully other people will too! Use or develop your skills to show people what makes you different and why they should care about you.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

Oscar worldpiece Is someone who we always look forward to hearing new music from. Logan_ ohm. IZCO.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

JWhale: Untrue by Burial, White Ladder by David Gray and Hoodies All Summer by Kano. Have really enjoyed Ventura by Anderson .Paak lately as well.

JimmyG: Griselda - I've been listening to Tana Talk 4 by Benny the Butcher and God Don't Make Mistakes by Conway the Machine a lot. Also Big Thief’s latest album, that’s my favourite of the year so far and I think it's incredible. Elliott Smith - X/O, Swans - The Glowing Man.

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

JimmyG: I spend a lot of the time listening to music, I like rating albums on this website called Album of the Year. I love going on countryside walks and cycles, I don’t think I could live somewhere where I couldn’t access the countryside. I also play 7-a-side football a lot and really enjoy that. Play FIFA while listening to tunes in my downtime.

JWhale: I design children's toys for my day job but I like filming and editing videos. I like seeing my mates and have recently taken up bouldering.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio? 

JWhale: JimmyG, marmite rice cakes and my maroon crocs.

JimmyG: JWhale, biscuits, and Early Grey tea.