When made with intention, an album can become a cultural artifact that reflects the values and aesthetics of the people who created it. This is my dream when I make music. A bit of this idea came through on Inopia; the project was the result of an unlikely pairing between Sam Hansell and myself (thank you to Emanuella for making it happen!). We had 24/7 access to practice rooms and all of our multi-instrumentalist friends. It sounds like the culture of our music faculty, where progressive punk bands, talented songwriters, and piano majors were all rehearsing under the same roof. When it was done, the CDs sold out immediately and you’d see a Sam Hansell shirt at every punk show for the following year. The release party was the greatest feeling in the world. The album had dropped that very day, and people were already dancing and screaming the lyrics. Inopia isn’t making us rich or winning awards, but is easily my best memory from university.

Juice Joint is Nathan’s house: recorded in his living room and mixed in his bedroom. I was new to the band and still figuring out my parts, and despite re-recording my Grapevine solo dozens of times, we went with the second take. Juice Joint is up-and-coming London musicians filtered through Nathan’s vision of video gamey jazz fusion. This album is what happens when everyone is in it to be in it. We just wanted to play our instruments and get gigs, and Nathan Nykor was able to give us direction. It established Juice Joint as London’s leading instrumental band, resulting in Sunfest, artist collaborations, and the weekly open jam we host at Poachies.

My personal experience with both of these projects are why I care about them so much. If you take away the subjectivity though, you’re left with some pretty cool albums that are held back by logistical issues. They have taught me the value of having a strong creative vision, and the importance of executing it intentionally. I become a better producer with each project, and I hope that by working ethically in my community/industry/scene, I can help others make music that they can forever be proud of too.