Written by Khuwayne Linton
Published 15.12.2025

Izland Interview: Jomy Jai, Musician 

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What inspired you or got you interested into doing music in the first place?

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Music has always been a space of refuge and deep connection for me. Growing up between cultures, it became a bridge — something that helped me explore identity and express emotions that often couldn’t be put into words. Over time, it evolved into a mission: to create music that heals, connects, and transforms.

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You’ve learned various instruments and music skills growing up, what do you consider the hardest to do – Being a singer or musician or songwriter?

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Songwriting, definitely. It’s the most vulnerable act. As a songwriter, especially within The Third Culture Collective, I’m not just crafting lyrics or melodies — I’m trying to translate something deeply emotional, ancestral, even spiritual. That kind of honesty can be challenging, but it’s also where the magic lives.

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As an artist, you’ve blended a couple of different genres together to create your own fusion of music (specifically from Jazz, Electronic and World Music). Could you explain to me what excites or attracts you to each of those styles of music?

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Jazz gives us the freedom to improvise and express in the moment. It’s alive and deeply spiritual. Electronic music allows us to create rich textures and atmospheres — a hypnotic, meditative space. World music keeps us rooted in history and cultural memory. Together, these styles let us tell stories that are both ancient and futuristic.

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Are there any key performers, producers or songwriters you take inspiration from to perform the music you currently play?

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Absolutely — Aydın Esen ,Ahmad Jamal Alice Coltrane, Björk, Mulatu Astatke,Bonobo and Mehliana & Anoushka Shankar are all key influences. What we admire in them is their depth — the way they bring emotion, culture, and experimentation into a single sound. They don’t just perform; they transport.

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What has been the biggest hurdle you faced as an artist so far in the music industry?

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Carving space for a sound that doesn’t fit neatly into industry boxes. Our music is genre-fluid, emotionally complex, and culturally layered — which can make it harder to define or sell in traditional terms. But we believe its uniqueness is also its greatest strength.​

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You are currently in a band called The Third Culture Collective. I’m curious to know how your band was created and how long have you known each other?

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We came together naturally — artists, musicians, and creatives from different diasporas and disciplines who felt drawn to similar sonic and emotional landscapes. Some of us have known each other for years, others met more recently, but the connection was immediate. It felt more like remembering than meeting.

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What inspired your band to call yourselves The Third Culture Collective?

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We were inspired by the concept of “third culture kids” — individuals who grow up between cultures and form a hybrid identity. Our music is the same: a living blend of traditions, modernity, memory, and experimentation. “The Third Culture” represents a new kind of space — one that is inclusive, fluid, and transformational.

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In three words, could you describe to me what your group represents?

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Healing. Connection. Transcendence.​​​​​​

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In your opinion, what makes The Third Culture Collective different and special from other bands and groups?

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We’re not just a band — we’re a collective experience. Our performances feel like journeys, where the audience becomes part of the ceremony. We blend music with visual arts, improvisation, and healing practices to create spaces that are emotionally resonant and transformative.

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What is your favourite song either from your band or your own individual music that you really love to perform and could you describe what the song represents to you?

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“Köprü” is one of our most loved songs to perform — the name means “bridge” in Turkish. It fuses Middle Eastern melodies, psychedelic textures, and free jazz. To us, it represents a bridge between the old and the new, between cultures, between the internal and the collective journey.

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What is your favourite event you have performed in so far in your career and why?

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One of our most memorable shows was a candlelit, immersive performance in London. The space was intimate and the audience was fully present. There were moments of deep silence, tears, laughter — it felt more like a shared ritual than a concert.

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What are some of your goals you would like to accomplish in your music career?

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We want to create immersive healing concerts in unconventional spaces, collaborate with artists from Indigenous and diaspora communities, and release a full-length concept album that merges sonic experimentation with deep emotional storytelling.

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What is next for you over the next 6 months? Any upcoming gigs potentially, new music, collaborations?

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We’re currently working on recording our debut live album and preparing a series of collaborative performances for summer 2025. These will include live visuals, movement artists, and improvisation. We’re also in the early stages of a short film project that explores the spiritual philosophy behind The Third Culture sound.