Jay Pillai and his publication Lazy Indie Magazine
Similar to some of the most prominent misnomers in the music industry, Jay alias Lazie J – with a career extending over 30 years and accomplishments such as his band reaching number three in the world – has a misnomer. Lazie has created numerous global music platforms such as Reverbnation and international partnerships. Jay, an independent singer-songwriter for more than three decades, co-founded Autumnleaf in 1991 with his longtime collaborator and friend Manoj, and has since built a very prolific career. With music videos featured on MTV, VH1, and the BBC, remaining in the top ten of independent music rankings across multiple platforms.
And what is it that some could argue should be deemed a pinnacle accomplishment? The establishment of Lazie Indie Magazine, which is read all over the world, and the subsequent establishment of the International Indie Music Festival (IIMF), which is a large platform with amazing performers from all over the world, the likes of which have never previously been seen in India, were both important steps. On the occasion of the third anniversary of his magazine, Jay's career has reached an impressive stage and is picking up steam. The irony of the moniker "Lazie J" is not missed when one considers that he is also the man behind "Autumnleaf the big stage in 2018," which is a television show that has won an award and promotes independent singers in South India. In the year 2020, he established the Lazie Indie Magazine, which is now distributed in over one hundred countries across all continents, and has profiled over five hundred artists from all over the world.
Jay Pillai, lead singer of the band Lazie J, established Lazie Indie Magazine in the year 2020. It is presently in the process of entering its 36th edition and is read in more than one hundred nations all over the world, on all continents with the possible exception of Antarctica. It is a well built up community by musicians for musicians, with its signature interviews in which none of the replies are edited, and with Jay Pillai's steadfast stance that music should not be criticized, but rather that performers should be given a platform to discuss their craft and art. It is a community that has been deliberately constructed by musicians for musicians.
Artists from over 50 nations, spanning genre, location, gender, ethnicity, and religion have been published in Lazie Indie Magazine, which has successfully garnered a committed following all around the world. It was started as a one man effort by Jay, and as the community diversified and grew in numbers, the magazine also has contributors from around the world now who themselves are artists of great repute, thus making it a global magazine for the musician by the musician. Additionally, it has come to feature numerous industry icons and heavy weights along with countless up and coming artists, with their proven record of outstanding craft and body of work.
The publication has also covered a large number of prominent prizes, such as the Josie, ICMA, LDM, and ISR awards, and it has included a large number of Grammy winners and voting members. In addition to that, the city is home to a sizeable number of recording academy instructors.
The International Indie Music Festival, often known as IIMF, is an outgrowth of the magazine that was created as a result of a joint effort with Kerala Arts and Crafts Village. Around 21 musicians from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, Italy, and India performed at the first edition of this festival, which took place at the beginning of November in 2020 and lasted for five days. Will Johns, Sami Chohfi, Anslom, and Lyia Meta were among the international musicians that made their first performances in India during this event. International artists seamlessly collaborated with Indian artists and performing as a band at the festival, which was held near Kovalam, a beautiful beach in the city of Trivandrum. Artists and bands openly expressed the camaraderie and the comfort they felt at the fest like none other when they returned back after the event. The groundbreaking work done by Jay Pillai does not appear to be showing any signs of slowing down either, and neither does the philosophy and creative ethics that he established.
There is nothing at all lax about the guy who has been able to carve out his own niche in the indie rock scene all over the world with his magazine that is currently on its 36th issue and features musicians from all over the world. It is a measure to how committed Jay is to the art and craft of the sounds and melodies that we all love so much that he has managed to cultivate long-lasting friendships and lifetime partners throughout the course of his endeavours. This is the most remarkable thing that he has accomplished with his work.In the years leading up to the launch of what is now the highly regarded Lazie Indie Magazine... When he says, "It has been a journey of exploration and discovery for me, and I am sure that if a Jay who comes from a small town in the southern most part of India can connect artists from all over the world to help each other and contribute to each other's growth, anyone one can do it," ay keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground.
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