Music is within every one of us. Some are better at letting that music out into the world than others. It is a gift when a songwriter can just churn out song after song and make it sound natural and not at all forced. An individual that I was introduced to recently has this ability, and what makes it more amazing is that she is only 17 years old. Let me introduce you to Jimmy The Mouth.
Yes it is an odd stage name but that gives you a glimpse into the mind of singer/songwriter Ishani Bagga. Her sound is an interesting one probably best described as folk-punk or freak folk. She shared with me that her intention is to write songs in every genre over her career. Bold statement, but after listening to some of her work I would not be surprised to hear this as truth years down the road.
We were lucky enough to get an advance listen of her new album that is set to be released in the new year. The Germaine Files was meant to be an EP of songs that had been written by Ishani over the last 4 years but when her prolific songwriting bug bit once again she decided to churn out a few more folk punk songs and throw them on the record. The album is raw but there is a welcomeness to it that lets the listener feel like he is sitting on the floor of a bedroom being sung these songs personally. The first song to jump out at me was ‘Bodily Adventures’. The track is a banjo picking happy fest with warm tones and overdubbed vocals that make it feel like a sing along. Her simple guitar style lends itself well to the picture of a small coffee house where everyone sits silently and focuses on her story telling lyrics on tracks like ‘Magpies’ and ‘The Ivy And the Hemlock’. It is refreshing listening to someone open their heart wide and let you inside.
Please get to know Jimmy The Mouth for yourself and keep an eye out for the multitude of music that will surely come out of her.