Bhi Bhiman has developed a reputation for covering quite a lot of ground - both literally and figuratively - on his albums and in his songs.
From his original hit "Guttersnipe," wherein he recounts a rambling life of transience, to the nuanced and lyrically deft "Moving to Brussels" - which was released with a fantastic music video starring Bhiman and Keegan-Michael Key in a "Whiplash" send up - Bhiman has never shied away from exploration, whether involving himself, complex social issues or simply the space he occupies in the world at any given moment.
Bhiman, in the midst of a tour promoting his second studio album, "Rhythm & Reason," recently stopped into NYC for a night at the Mercury Lounge and even managed to hit City Winery despite a rainstorm the next day. The soulful songwriter granted HNGN an exclusive email interview - after we took in his tight and charismatic set at Mercury - to discuss what goes into his songwriting process, his early influences and the current cultural events which inform much of his music.
You introduced The Color Pink by talking a little about your belief in marriage equality and how you felt it was silly for it to even be an issue. Can you expand on that/what it means to you/how current events shape your writing?
I think politics, and more so social issues, can be great fodder for songwriting. Often times, its the ridiculous side of the argument that is the most fun to write about. To me, The Color Pink is really a metaphor for any of the social issues that make people (especially religious conservatives) uncomfortable.
Is the album title, Rhythm & Reason, related to this - ie; music as a form of imparting wisdom/speaking what you see as truth to the world?
Yes definitely. It's from a line in my song The Color Pink where I ask, 'whatever happened to rhythm and reason?'. Its also a mix of the terms "rhythm & blues" and "rhyme or reason".
Has your songwriting process changed over the years from Guttersnipe to Moving to Brussels? Do you still approach it the same way despite being in a different place in your life?
I don't think my process has changed much although I have probably have less time to write now than I did before. Between touring and fatherhood it's sometimes hard to find the time. When I write, I normally come up with a guitar riff or chord progression first and then I'll find a lyrical idea or phrase that fits the mood of the music.
You have a very humorous, tongue-in-cheek quality to your lyrics. Is this something intentional or did it just develop naturally as an extension of your own personality?
I think its a natural thing. I've always loved comedy. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a comedian (I loved Richard Pryor and George Carlin) so that part of my personality has always been there. I like making people laugh and not taking myself or the music too seriously on the surface. But there are normally some heavy underlying themes in my writing so it's nice to balance that with some levity now and then. And honestly, sometimes I can get my point across better with comedy.
How has being the child of Tamil immigrants influenced your life and music? Do you feel a connection to the US or does your kind of wayward, nomadic lifestyle - touring, "riding the rails" as you say in Guttersnipe - reflect a disconnection from any one specific place?
In a lot of ways I'm as American as apple pie. But I do have a connection and interest in the immigrant story. Not just because of my parents but also b/c of my extended family who have spread across the globe. I think as a first generation American, and a Brown person, you in many ways never fully blend in. And that perspective of an outsider looking in is one of the approaches I take in songwriting.
As a fan of 90's grunge bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden (I'm also a huge Soundgarden fan, saw you got to interview Kim recently, really cool) did you set out to write music like them - I mean, no one shreds like Kim, but was that the dream at first? Did you have that kind of harder edge when you first started writing music and it evolved to your current sound or was folk always a part of your musical repertoire?
I learned a ton from listening to those bands -- I definitely looked up to them. I used to sit in my room and just play AC/DC and SG licks for hours. I definitely leaned that way when I was first attempting to write. But at the same time, I always loved Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens, so the acoustic guitar was always around. And when I started writing my own songs it was primarily happening on acoustic guitar. So the shift was just sort of natural. And playing solo on an acoustic is a very simple, effective setup.
You can find Bhiman on Twitter at @bhibhiman and you can check out his upcoming tour dates through his website, bhibhiman.com. He'll be stopping back in New York in August for a show with Lake St. Drive in Hudson at Club Helsinki.
