JMSN Shares the Importance of Personal Experiences in His Music and the Meaning of ‘It is.’

Matt Matasci

JMSN, whose real name is Christian Berishaj, spent several years in the music industry under various monikers. The singer released his third studio album entitled “It is.” on his own label, White Room Records the first week in May. The songs are notable for their layered instrumentals, soulful vocals and unexpected song structures, establishing JMSN as one of the most interesting artists in the burgeoning and ever-crowded sub-genre of alternative R&B. The singer spoke with Entertainment Voice about the differences between his latest album and previous work, how he writes his music and the meaning of “It is.”

How do you feel “It Is.” varies from your previous work as JMSN?

Oh, it’s definitely an evolution and a departure, you know? All the instruments are organic; I didn’t really use any electronic sounds except for one analog synthesizer on a song. So it’s very true to itself. But it’s a departure.

What made you pursue the direction of using only organic instrumentation?

I had always been trying to push myself toward that direction. But it just came more into formation by finding the right players and stuff like that that helped make it easier for me to actually do. I play guitar on the record and I play drums on one song. But whatever I couldn’t play [as well as] I thought it should be played I had somebody else come play. I have all the ideas and then I have somebody come play it a whole lot better than me.

Did you find yourself influenced by anything new or different in the time since you released your first two LPs?

Yeah, of course, I mean . . . life in general. (laughs) Life, in general, is new and different, you know? I’m changing every day; My perception of things is changing as well and how I take things in affects my output. So that was the real new inspiration. Musically I was listening to a lot of old stuff, just going back and getting into that stuff again.

Your songs are musically and lyrically very dense and layered. Can you give us a little insight into the stages of your creative process?  

It usually just comes from inspiration. I’ll get a song idea, like a lyric or a melody or something and kind of record it on my iPhone. That’s just one of the ways. Or I’ll be sitting at my computer just recording myself playing guitar, some drums or something. Just messing around and trying to figure it out.   

Are the lyrics on songs like “Cruel Intentions” pulled from personal experiences or observations of others or a mix of the two?

Yeah, it’s all personal experience because you know, it’s my outlook on things. And personal experience sets it off, and it starts it; it ignites the flow of the song, of the creative process for the song. It always stems from personal [experiences].

What is the meaning behind the album’s title?

It was about letting go and just letting stuff be. It’s like: this is what it is and let it be that. Because it just is. It is. So it was something that was a life-changing little sentence that just stuck with me. And I got it tattooed on my head! (laughs)

You’ve collaborated with other artists in the past but “It Is.” does not feature any prominent guest features. Was that an intentional decision or something that just fell into place?

I don’t really look for features to make a record. I want it to be more about me. It’s my record. And if something happens to be needed like a female vocal or somebody else to be on it, they’ll be on it but it’s less of a feature . . . the album is bigger than all of us. It’s not about vanity.  

How has it been taking these songs on the road so far?

It’s been great. We’ve got a six-piece band now so it’s a lot more live than it was before and we have freedom within that to extend songs. Whatever we’re feeling, we go with it. Yeah, it’s amazing.

So do you find a big difference in the live shows supporting “It is.” versus previous albums?

Oh yeah, of course, just the six-piece band alone makes a difference. It’s a completely different feel like I said there’s more freedom.

“It is.” is available May 6 from Apple Music.