Musician Jimmy Mallia recently released his new single, “Hey Hey,” a fun, meaningful reflection of sobriety and life experience.
Hailing from Galveston, Texas, Mallia followed a traditional route for the majority of his life: schooling, a college degree, joining a company, raising a family. It wasn’t until recent years that the musician turned his life around, joined a 12 step program, and began his career in music.
“Creating music has been a dream of mine my whole life,” shares Mallia. “When I was younger, I thought it wasn’t practical. I was in musicals, played football and ran track, got a degree in economics. Yet like in that Robert Frost poem, there were two roads, and I chose one. I chose one path for all these years and now I thought, let’s choose the other one.”
Jimmy Mallia is no stranger to crafting his own sound. For the past 15 years, the singer and guitarist has been writing music, dreaming of the day he would finally release his own music and perform on stage to live audiences. Now, at age 59, the self-proclaimed “oldest newcomer” has finally made it.
His new single, “Hey Hey,” is an upbeat, classic tune reminiscent of Johnny Cash. Easy to listen to yet full of depth, the single is worthy of a listen. While “Hey Hey” isn’t his typical sound, it seems to work wonders for Mallia. “The goal was to be a little rowdy,” shares the artist.
Jimmy Mallia’s songs are about personal experiences; they’re inspired by what someone he knows has gone through or an experience he has had. “It took a lot to get it out there—getting up the nerve to put out something I wrote was difficult. It’s personal. It’s about alcoholism and recovery. So, it’s really throwing yourself out there—double. It’s a personal experience. Cathartic.”
“I hope it resonates with listeners,” he adds. “People can relate to it both in sobriety and not. You can be an alcoholic in recovery, sober, and still have fun going out. There’s a message within it about hope and recovery. I wanted to combine a fun song with the desperation it takes to get into a program.”
Jimmy Mallia’s songwriting process always begins with a thought. “For example, with this song, I thought about how you’re not supposed to talk about a 12 step program. But then I realized it sounded like ‘hey, hey.’ I create one sentence, one thought. Then I sit with paper or in my mind and start writing it. Most songs don’t take every long to write.”
The next step is a collaborative one—creating the instrumentals. “I get together with the guy I play guitar with and share what I heard in my mind. Fast, slow, etc. He’ll start playing and then he’ll piece it together.” For “Hey Hey,” Jimmy Mallia ended up going to Austin, Texas for the best digital recording he could find. “I had a studio booked with a live band, but they cancelled the day before. So, I thought maybe I could just do it digitally. I sang and played guitar. Then added drums, piano, mandolin to lay over it. I got to pick the instruments in it, including an old type stand-up piano.”
So far, the artist has received very positive feedback, with some listeners noting religious undertones, while others appreciated the “good, catchy tune.” Better yet, a recurring comment is “I can’t get that song out of my head now!”
“It’s always a good sign when someone says that about your music,” tells Mallia. “It’s an easy, catchy tune to remember. At the end there’s a singalong. I thought, ‘there just has to be a singalong at the end of this like any fun party song.’ There’s a serious message put in a fun light.”
At the end of the day, creating music is an opportunity for Jimmy Mallia to share his story. “If nothing else, I’ve put it out there. I want people to hear the story and say, ‘I’ve always wanted to bake and own a bakery, but I’ve always been an accountant.’ You’ve done it. Now go find out what your dream is. The goal of my music is to reach or touch people. I want to sing something relatable that they can say, ‘wow, I know how that feels.’”
Make sure to stay connected to Jimmy Mallia on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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