Jimmy Mallia Continues to Share His Life Experiences with “Had Em All”
By: Paul K. Barnes
Whether you know a little bit about every genre or a lot about one genre, when someone loves music their love of music is forever. Jimmy Mallia is the perfect example of this considering he put his first single on streaming services this past year at almost 60 years old. His latest, “Had Em All,” has him recounting his past relationships and how every partner was unique for a different reason. Jimmy is a storyteller with a message with a little bit of his own life in each song. These songs recount times in his life that were not always the best but he made it through them all. After all his perseverance through life, he hopes that his stories inspire others to find the strength to make it through their own difficulties.
When speaking to Jimmy, he shared that purposefully did not want “Had Em All” to come from a place of regret, sadness or any other trope we’ve seen in songs like this across the years. Songs about past relationships usually come from a place of sadness or triumph but Jimmy takes the route of reflection. And in his reflection he still has a positive perspective at this point in his life.
“To me, it’s just funny. I don’t look back on any of the relationships and have huge regrets. I just laugh about it. Things usually happen for a reason and there’s always a lesson learned.”
The lighthearted nature of the song comes across clearly as soon as it starts. When speaking with Jimmy, he said his music lands somewhere between folk and country and the acoustic guitar on this track is a testament to that. The melody, in Jimmy’s words, has a waltz-like cadence to it. He lists the types of partners he’s had over the years and you can even hear him chuckle a little throughout the song. The chorus is one that’s easy to sing along with once you’ve heard the song a few times. There’s even a guitar solo played by his son-in-law that helps close out the song.
Jimmy Mallia is well aware that his age is a key factor when it comes to his music. With the power of virality and technology, artists are jumping into the music business earlier and earlier in life and making all kinds of decisions once they do. Meanwhile, Jimmy is entering the streaming era of music much later but has confidence his music will stand out. By choosing to post his music on streaming websites instead of only doing live performances, he enjoys and is fascinated by the ability to share it on a truly global scale.
“I wrote songs for 16 years before I ever took this venture into releasing them. I thought I had something to say that wasn’t being said…If you’re gonna throw yourself out there throw yourself out there big…If I think people can get something out of it, relate to it, maybe even hopefully help somebody, then it’s worth releasing.”
In our conversation, another genre Jimmy labeled his music as was “singer/songwriter.” Jimmy’s 16 years of songwriting experience naturally make him stand out. His songs are also written with the intent of painting a picture of a specific time in his life and how he overcame it. His first single, “Hey Hey” details his recovery journey from alcoholism. Once again, he takes the approach of framing this dark time in his life through a pleasant sounding song.
“There is joy, happiness and relief in recovery.”
The unique tone of “Hey Hey” is one example of why Jimmy’s music is so different from other artists out there. By creating a song that celebrates the joy of not drinking anymore through a music style often used to celebrate drinking, he brings a new approach that will make someone continue to think about the song long after it has ended. Meanwhile “Cover Me” has a significantly darker atmosphere than Jimmy’s other music but this was purposeful too.
“It's about being in that dark place and not wanting to be in the real world. And so, to convey that, I felt it needed to be dark and deep and almost pleading.”
The track opens and closes with the sounds of a thunderstorm which adds to the auditory experience of the song. Jimmy's lyrics in the song tie into this directly as he talks about the darkness in his life and how it once surrounded him but he made it through. Overcoming obstacles is a running theme in his music. He wants to make songs that stick with people because of their relatability. Jimmy Mallia is an artist that’s ready to continue sharing his story with the world because there’s so much to tell.
As he states, “My life has been like a Netflix series.”
He plans to release an EP that compiles his singles and hopes this creates the demand for an album. With his love for music, songwriting skills and commitment to honesty, his music is sure to resonate with those who have had the same life experiences he has. Or, even if they haven’t, they can still get something out of it or pass it along to someone else.
Follow Jimmy on social media here.
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