We recently connected with Buddy Hjelm and have shared our conversation below.
Buddy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
I performed at The Bug Jar in Rochester, NY which is a corner bar and venue. Since 1991, the Bug Jar has been a mainstay in the Rochester music scene, giving many local bands their first chance on stage, as well as hosting major touring acts such as The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Mac Demarco, and many, many more for nearly 30 years. A 331 mile drive from North Bergen, New Jersey to Rochester, New York was about a 6 hour drive one way. As a three piece band in Edifice, we were paid $100 to perform. It was enough to get Chinese food for the 3 of us and fill the tank of gas.
The drive up was the 3 bandmates including myself, in the bassist’s ford explorer. A friend, Eston came along for the ride. Eston and I sat in the back seat while the drummer and bassist took turns driving. It was a scenic route, traveling through long valleys of mountain ranges and tall trees. There were plenty of trees being fumigated in the back seat, too, non stop.
We arrived promptly to load in our gear. Eston is a vocalist in other projects and death metal bands. He helped us with our gear and even performed the vocals on some of our songs! I was over-joyed anytime this interaction and entanglement occurred. The band Abdicate was throwing on the show and payed us at the end of the night. We drove back at night after a nice succulent Chinese meal.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was always inspired by the rock music my father would play on cassette tapes in the car driving to the Atlantic Highlands in New Jersey. Bands like Aerosmith, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Van Halen sounded through the speakers on the NJ Turnpike South. Eventually, I was really inspired by the drums on Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001 by Blink 182. The drums on the album Slipknot by Slipknot in 1999 were adrenaline capturing too. One day I was messing around with a plastic guitar that had real metal strings while listening to Something Like Human by the band Fuel.
My father seen my antics for a few years and asked me that if he got me a guitar, would i learn how to play it. I agreed and said yes. My first guitar was around 2003 and I started learning chords from my friend Erick. I learned tablature and went online to Ultimate Guitar to attempt to play some of my favourite songs. Very quickly I started writing my own songs. My father even remarked one day: “So you’re learning music?” “no, i am writing my own music” I said,
Friends always said I can make funny voices and that I should get into voice characterization. I make song songs for my friend Melvin who is making a few different video games. I also do some voice overs and voice acting for my other friend Erick that is into writing film scripts. I do work a regular job to maintain my pursuit of living my dream of making a living off creativity substantially. I am most proud of my professionally recorded album with Edifice as Edific3 – Agony, Universal. A true performance, although digitally enhanced, is outstanding in my lyrics, guitar performance, and vocals.
In 1999 when bands like Slipknot and Linkin Park and Korn came into the ethos, their vocalists inspired me to learn how to sing. Again, i am self-trained, but growing up watching shows like Looney Tunes and South Park and The Three Stooges, voice acting and comedy brightened the day – anytime it was on. Between my voice, and my song writing skills, I’ve produced over 700 songs and have beyond 200 music albums streaming currently. After Edific3’s Agony, Universal I became a self produced solo artist with multiple projects spreading from rock to electronic, from techno to grindcore, from skate-punk to glam rock, from extreme metal to christian tunes. Yes, I play nylon string guitar too and it sounds beautiful.
My mission is to get at least, one viral song; although, royalties distribution is scarce. My one band Lightning Strikes Across The Sky got over 3.5M impressions. The royalty payout was $1.82. No zeros. Just under dollars was I paid for over 3.5 million impressions. I understand that not every impression on social media platforms are monetized. Nevertheless, it was encouraging to me that even a filler song on an album can pick up traction and get around all parts of the planet!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part is the listener/attendee giving good feedback and adoration for the art and the passion. To me, that is a feeling of humility and gratitude. It is very grounding when even someone randomly compliments past art I recorded. I don’t feel connected to the world or a lot of people so when someone shows me they listened to the music and gets it, I feel connected to them. That is a connection of love and it heals my heart.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The goal is to be able to make a substantial living solely based off the creative works I create. I record about an album a month. That is a savage pace, to anyone who knows about editing and recording engineering. The ease of investing in a MacBook and LogicPro it has given me to record promotes rapid capturing of in the moment jam sessions. The computer is merely a tool that I can get my music heard and burning passion felt by listeners spanning all across each continent. I made band t-shirts as well for Exiting Mortuary and Lightning Strikes Across The Sky.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/clovefrog
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superiuslux
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddie.munster.75286
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/buddy-hjelm-5b04626b
- Twitter: https://x.com/BuudFrog
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/diluted8
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lsats
- Other: Fart Thrower Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4eVPaVtP37c54o4wMhiEY7?si=om1S9v_-TjWQmzlsGbpI7A
Edific3 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/59y6Dhz2cmYM8gc814xM57?si=sECHKw26SrqGNtdZ3kfofw
Lightning Strikes Across The Sky Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mfXdV5KzgCrYsVqiHh0oi?si=Y7_7xMgbStqfTc6YJAAt6Q
Exiting Mortuary Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Pab8tyUsMK7Iv8DL6DSMV?si=XN_n7XmBQMeQJdK-sam7RA
Shadim Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tKC7xg7QDKmDSvCTc8dyf?si=q3fPRbNMToOO8HWSaHiZdw
EBH spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3aKTRmiW5qFhJVBke0tAGo?si=Jw_L93aiRJy11zG33o71Eg
Hjelmsson Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JL6wamDPjeeXlxMcHpDzm?si=F1WNcB3oR665o4kFWCyXLg
Arkancide Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DBAiWSTzMGuxN0HSZBQg8?si=wXIj5M2WQyi0Sh5UoTcmLg
Dumb Dance Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ziiJkGgtuN8IxByl0l8mG?si=85YGRElTS4CBesZaJZ7Ntw
Image Credits
William WillPhoto Henriquez
Dean Luis Chuqui