Jimi Somewhere Drives Through Nostalgia On "In My Car"

Tucked away in the middle of Norway, indie artist Jimi Somewhere, also known as Benjamin Shandy, has released yet another spellbinding single ahead of his upcoming album Nothing Gold Stays called “In My Car.” With its dynamic vocals, biting synths, and experimental percussion, the third release is a mind and genre-bending sonic creation full of nostalgia and gloom.

The track dives into the many profound and fond memories the 22-year-old has made driving around with his friends. Jimi explained that the song was inspired by a compilation of feelings and experiences he’s had in cars. “Being from a small town in Norway, there’s really not that much going on, so the car becomes such a place of escape,” he explained. “You just drive around aimlessly a lot. And this is me kind of putting some of those experiences into one song.”

“In My Car” is an intimate, coming of age track full of raw and conflicting emotions; laughter met with gaps of sadness filled silence or with industrial and tense soundscapes. Jimi immediately sets the scene singing, “I broke your window with a rock/ We shared a moment in my car.” The opening synth is gradual and filled with movement, immediately invoking the feeling of a flashback. The synth carries and grows steadily throughout the song before being met with a dropped drum beat, mixed in with sounds like the dinging of an unlocked car. Listeners feel like they are going on a midnight ride to unknown destinations and unknown experiences awaiting them.

“Me and my producer Milo both love and make so much different music,” said Jimi. “When Milo came up with this groove, it just felt so good and we didn’t have any songs with this kind of bassline driven vibe, so I thought it would be sick to have that on the album.” Alongside his other singles, “Jesus” and “Bottle Rocket,” Jimi has shown yet again that he refuses to be put into a box and subvert expectations. “In My Car” became that and we had so much fun playing with car sounds and stuff. There are so many car samples in there.“

When talking about the upcoming release, Somewhere expressed, "I think the album is more than one story. All the songs on it represent something really important to me.” Nothing Gold Can Stay has been a work in progress for about three years now. If Jimi’s singles are any sign of what’s to come, then listeners should mark calendars for February 5th for what’s going to be one of the best albums of 2021.