by Brandon Nguyen and Linh Nguyen, Staff Writers
They sat in the back row after their performance with sweat drenching their costumes. Their hearts beat in unison as the judges began speaking to the audience.
“Third place goes to West Covina!”
They all let out a sigh, whether in relief or disappointment they weren’t sure yet; all they knew was that there was still a chance.
“Second place goes to…”
They didn’t even hear who won, all they knew was that it wasn’t them and that there was only one spot left. They closed their eyes and hoped for the best.
“First place goes to, drum roll please, Jimmy and the Hipsters!”
It was a day of shock for everyone. Many people heard their names that night. Many knew about their name before, but not many know about the boys behind the name.
Despite their fame now, Jimmy and the Hipsters had humble beginnings. They started as a local band struggling to find their identity and place in the big and unforgiving music industry.
“It was a hard process, there’s so many bands out there with cool names,” said Jimmy (’16). “I decided if I’m going to make myself different from the other bands then I have to be myself. I mean the band name is literally made up of our names. It couldn’t be more us.”
The idea came up when FVHS student Jimmy decided that he wanted to express himself in the only way he knew: music. But he could not pull it off alone; he had the image and the voice, but lacked the musical background. He decided to go to the very source of musical talent and background itself: Bill Hipster.
“Jimmy contacted me in being interested in potentially forming a band and taking over the indie underground,” said Bill Hipster (’19). “With my previous expert musical background there was no question that this was the path for me.”
Jimmy and the Hipsters had a few growing pains on the way to their phenomenal success. When they started they had not quite decided on an image to rally behind. But after a brief experimental phase, Jimmy and the Hipsters became the band that everyone now knows.
“It’s a rewarding experience because not only have I seen my band members grow with me, but I’ve also seen myself grow in terms of developing a unique style,” said Jimmy. “Up until now our style was raw, but now it’s more refined; it’s more us. When you listen to our covers you don’t necessarily hear the original artist but rather Jimmy and the Hipsters.”
When watching the new and refined Jimmy and the Hipsters, the viewer can feel the influence of several different bands on their music.
“Some of the few influences that really impacted our music-making have been Death Grips, Blink 182 and Mac DeMarco,” said Jimmy.
When you enter their studio in Bryan Hipster’s living room you might be surprised to find out that the boys are not always practicing. They may be a major success, but they are only human.
“Before one makes a band, it’s important to have synergy with people you work with. That synergy is always present and there’s never a dull moment and that’s why Jimmy and the Hipsters is such an amazing thing to experience. We’re a family first and a band second,” said Jimmy.
Jimmy and the Hipsters not only acknowledges the bond that they share as a band and a family but also utilizes it to great effect in their music and in their practice sessions.
“I love the camaraderie. In each practice session you can feel how open we are. It’s like we’re cutting a hole in the ozone layer because of how open the atmosphere is,” said Bill.
After their popularity soared at the Key Club Talent Show, they considered releasing a new album. They had already released an album before under the title of “Unrequited Love,” but they are not sure if the world is quite ready for another album.
“After we released that album, I came to realize the type of content that people expect from us. That one didn’t have as nearly as many hits as our videos,” said Bill. “Therefore, in terms of writing a sophomore record, I think that it will come at the right time but I don’t think it’s currently the right opportunity for us right now.”
With the Friday Night Live Talent Show tomorrow, Jimmy and the Hipsters are hard at work practicing their routine for the show.
