9/22/2021

Back in 2012, I left a career of visual design and web development to take a chance on the Pre-Serial world of audio storytelling. I was a couple years out of school, and doing what people that went to school for art did (hopped from residency to residency, balanced a day job at a media organization, and tried to get placement in galleries). When I was in my studio, or driving the two hour round trip to my day job, I listened to a lot of independent podcasts (shout out to The Black Guy Who Tips), and dreamt of finding a way to make a living through my interest in music and sound.

Thanks to my partner’s health insurance, I put in my notice, and went all in on a dream.

I used my design skills to build websites and identity systems for clients that funded my first collection of audio equipment. I learned the craft from YouTube and trading favors with new friends at WBEZ. Myself, and other friends, were pissed that the doors were being closed for people like us, so we built an audio collective and piloting program for BIPOC creators. Educators in Chicago took notice, and tapped me to create a brand new, graduate-level curriculum for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Cities outside of Chicago took notice, and an email in my spam folder led to being moved out to New York to launch a few shows, and tell a ton of stories for a variety of companies, stations, and organizations. I didn’t know the “right way” of telling audio stories, and I’m better for it.

Sometimes, I look at myself in the mirror, and I imagine that person in 2012 looking past the windshield, driving home from work and watching the sunset crest over I-55, longing for more.

Since 2012, I’ve seen the industry change. Hobbyists have been replaced by six-figure RFPs. My parents know what I do now.

A lot of organizations see dollar signs, and its reflective in their practices. So many living fossils, depleting themselves for bottomless bottom lines. I was one of them. For every award, was another blood pressure cuff.

Plenty of digital ink in group chats and Slacks have been spilled among friends, struggling to figure out if there’s a better way to build something that doesn’t scale––a place that not only respects their collaborators, but at the end of the day, just wants to make art for people willing to pay for it.

So, in September of 2021, I took another leap.

Welcome to Molten Heart, a creative studio featuring an ensemble cast of artists––taking a medium-agnostic, conceptual art approach to projects.

The phrase “molten heart” popped up in a group chat with three dear friends. I can’t remember the origin, but the image the phrase evoked became the name of our group chat, and later, the name of my first record. Looking back, I must have connected with the phrase, because of a recent heart surgery. A small ember molting faulty hardware. Thankfully, no one else in the State of New York had a similar connection, and I still knew how to use Adobe Illustrator (the logo is both a Tiger’s Eye that I keep on my desk, and a symbol in honor of my best friend who passed away suddenly).

So, about the clause “ensemble cast of artists.” On paper, Molten Heart is me, James. But, of course, some projects are beyond my abilities. I only have six-to-eight hours a day to dedicate a focused amount of work, and collaboration is in my blood. Being an artist for nearly fifteen years, you tend to meet and work with a lot of creative people across a variety of skillsets. For example, our first project is set to be released in early 2022 and features a team of five artists. We’re working hard to build something that’s going to push the needle of audio storytelling forward.

As a model, I’m really inspired by Hanna Thomas Uose’s “Mission, Vision, Values, Metaphor.” With that in mind, Molten Heart will move at a tortoise’s pace (by design). There’s no startup capital, no funders, just me at my desk, sitting by the window gazing at helicopters that continually funnel back and forth every thirty-five minutes.

What does Molten Heart provide? I call it “conceptual storytelling.” What does that mean? It’s an extension of my art practice, so whatever it is that I’ve done there is free game under the umbrella of Molten Heart. So that means: short and long form audio stories and series development, sound design and audio mixing/mastering, musical composition, artistic commissions, sonic and visual branding, longform essays and literature, and anything under the umbrella of education and mentorship.

So now that you’ve gotten this far, I’m open to hearing your proposals, pitches, and possiblities.

Until the first project launches on Molten Heart, take a listen to a launch playlist I created on Apple Music or Spotify. It gives you an idea of our aesthetic, ear, and vibe. Imagine a world of abundance, built with collaboration, not extraction.

Say hi, xoxo: wearemolten.com.