Jeremy Ford — Self Seekers, 2020
About
The notion of identity has been at the top of my mind since I moved from a quiet, rural Connecticut town to Brooklyn ten years ago.
Hailing from a quiet, rural town where privacy is a commodity, the large, anonymous NYC crowds were jarring and a bit unsettling at first. Every weekday, I’d rub shoulders with heaps of bustling commuters, fascinated by the fact that a set of strangers, so diverse yet so similar in their routines, co-mingled for just a few fleeting moments. Intimately close, yet completely blind to the depths, intricacies, and nuances of each other’s lives. I knew nothing about the personalities, careers, backgrounds, relationships, or goals of those less than an inch from me. All semblances of identity were lost in the crowd, and there was something so poetic about that...
Beyond the notion of anonymity among strangers, many people I’ve spoken to admit struggling to find their true selves internally. No one ever tells us who we are (nor should they) — it's up to us to uncover. And considering the impacts of today's society, I realize our surroundings make it even more difficult to understand ourselves. Pressure from social media and constant bombardment from advertising campaigns keep us in a state of uncertainty by constantly reminding us that we need improvement.
This brings me to “Self Seekers,” my first instrumental project. While the majority of its songs are only 1-3 years old, the incubation process that brought them to life was a period of self reflection and self discovery that lasted over a decade. My musical being has gone through cycles — at times embracing my inherent desire to produce hip hop music and other times repressing it simply because I didn’t believe I had the authority to do so. Over time, I've learned to accept that all music is a universal language, and it speaks to us in different ways, at different times, unsolicited.
Self Seekers is the result of this internal conflict, and an acknowledgment of the struggles associated with finding one's true self. I hope the listening experience can help extinguish self doubt and provide temporary relief for anyone going through an identity crisis. If nothing else, I hope it’s fun to listen to. Enjoy!
My first studio setup in Connecticut, 2005
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Lookbook
An identity — in the true sense of the word — can not be seen.
Identities are much more than our name or appearance; they're an intangible manifestion of our backgrounds, experiences, goals, and desires. Who Am I?, the visual facet of Self Seekers, utilizes imagery and typography in an attempt to visually express the notions of identity and anonymity. It is best viewed while listening to the album.
