I first came across Jimi’s music in 2019 when he dropped the Ponyboy EP. That EP, along with Memoria and their Summer Vacation project, meant everything to me. At 16, 17, and 18, his music was the backdrop to some of my most formative experiences. Ponyboy and Memoria EP were there when I was happy, heartbroken, and lost. The soundtrack to the later years of my teen phase. Revisiting these projects feels like stepping right back into those moments. 

I remember showing my parents his music and saying, 'This is what I’m going to do.' Here were these kids making art all the way in their bedrooms in Norway, and I was thousands of miles away in Aruba, completely captivated by their work. That realization did something to me. When I first started making music Jimi was one of my influences I tried to imitate the most early on, obviously i couldnt quite achieve it yet, i barely understood what a compressor did, however i ended up finding my own sound in the process. My early tracks? Basically, me doing my best Jimi Somewhere, Roy Blair , Brockhampton, and Jean Dawson impressions which resulted in me discovering my own voice,  most importantly, I was developing my love for any sounds that gave me the feeling of “nostalgia”. 

Benjamin Schandy, known as Jimi Somewhere, is a 23-year-old (now 26) Norwegian artist whose music defies genre boundaries. Growing up in Hokksund, Norway, boredom pushed him to seek refuge in American music culture, shaping his artistry. He became obsessed with pop-punk bands like Blink-182 and Green Day before delving into hip-hop acts like Mac Miller, Odd Future, Brockhampton, and Joey Bada$$. Jimi's music exists in the same emotional, nostalgic space as other bedroom pop artists like Clairo, Roy Blair, Beabadoobee, Kevin Abstract, and Yellow Days.

Alongside his best friend and producer, Milo Orchis, Jimi crafts poetic lyrics over lush, electronic soundscapes, pulling from emo, pop-punk, and hip-hop to create something deeply personal. This genre-blurring approach has helped him transcend labels, making his music more about feeling than a fixed sound. He extends this emotional world visually through cinematic music videos, often directed by himself or frequent collaborator Martin Kupperud.

Milo has played a pivotal role in shaping the world and sound of Jimi Somewhere. Their friendship dates back to eighth grade, forming a deep personal and creative bond. Milo has contributed to projects like Memoria (2017), Ponyboy (2019) and the album Nothing Gold Can Stay (2021) and has worked with artists like Trevor Daniel, Tyr and Wonder The boy.

Mano Emanuel, a Congolese-Norwegian singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter, has spent recent years playing the keys and drums for Jimi Somewhere. In addition to touring with the duo, he has also made a name for himself as an independent producer and DJ at various clubs and festivals (chartmetric). Mano’s music dabbles in sounds like R&B and Hip-hop with a wavy touch as heard in his EP Waves.

Jimi Somewhere has collaborated with artists like Boy Pablo, Kacy Hill, Roy Blair & basementparty, and bülow. This interconnected web of artists, all inspiring and influencing each other, speaks to a larger phenomenon that i would like to write about on the future:  the way internet-bred musicians continue to create a snowball effect for the next generation of artists. Jimi himself has acknowledged this in his Vice interview, where he said:

"Kevin Abstract put out MTV1987 and I was like, ‘this is the best thing ever’,” Jimi says, looking back. “He made it with     his best friend in their bedroom, and it sounded so professional. I was like, ‘woah, we can do this.’ He’s probably my         biggest influence.”

This ripple effect can arguably be traced back to artists like Donald Glover, who pushed creative boundaries and may have, for example, inspired Kevin Abstract. In turn, Kevin Abstract’s music and DIY ethos influenced by this became a blueprint for a whole new wave of artists who grew up roaming forums and online communities.  These digital spaces became incubators for creativity, allowing young musicians to experiment, collaborate, and cultivate a fanbase without traditional industry gatekeepers. Having navigated these online creative spaces myself, I’ve seen firsthand how the internet fuels this cycle of inspiration—TEENAGEFEVERDREAMS being a byproduct of this process.

This is not an article breaking down the extensive biography and discography of Jimi Somewhere, if you are interested in learning more about these artists, please google their names or read this old article about Jimi Somewhere by Vice.