We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Friend a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jordan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
When my time here is done, I want to be remembered as an individual who always stuck to what they believed in and advocated for themselves and others. I want to be remembered for the work I do within my local community, and the art I create and share with the world. I want my art to outlive me, and to build an archive of music that can be discovered and enjoyed years after my passing. I want to help people come together and appreciate what is in front of them.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Jojank. I am a 22 year old non-binary independent rapper/producer/engineer/musician from southern california. My friends and I created a community/record label called Size 18 Shoes, that we all release our music and throw events through. The collective currently consists of: Nojay
Jojank
JDX
Lil Moshpit
Gusano
Masongo Ogora
Hope Studio
Chuy Torres
with most/all of the work being done in house. A talented team of visual and sonic artists all tied together by one common goal, to share the best art.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Throwing live shows! Live music is the most powerful tool artists have to connect to new people. There’s just something about hearing a song live that can make a huge difference when trying to engage with new people. Also the conversations that can be had in a physical space with other artists/event goers. I’ve made most of my best connections, either in friendship or in business, at live shows.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The idea that every person can be brought together through art. Art is a peephole into another person’s head. A small glimpse of perspective we would never be able to receive any other way. The main mission is just to get people to connect with each other, to make those intangible moments. Jumping on beat in some random dusty backyard with 40+ strangers to a song that has less than 1000 streams on spotify, these are moments that both the artists and the crowd will remember long after the night ends. To provide a touch of escape in the increasingly dark world through art, and to remind others we really aren’t so different from one another.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jojank_?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@size18shoes?si=SbTRaDc_eAa6cWPt