What Makes a Great Album Cover? Artists Behind Little Simz and NxWorries Discuss Process

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From Nirvana’s Nevermind to Missy Elliot’s inflatable suit, it’s not hard to see the connection between music and visuals, and Jameson brought together a panel of esteemed visual artists and creatives for its Distilled Sounds series to highlight just this fact.

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In case you missed it, Jameson Distilled Sounds brings global talent from around the world to Ireland for a series of music workshops and sessions. From hip hop artists from Namibia to punk artists from Ireland, artists are paired up for a month of online collaboration and one week of in-person sessions.

Anderson .Paak, known for his genre-defying collaborations, returned for the second year to guide the 20 global artists, who are gathered for off-the-cuff collaborative challenges and in-depth songwriting sessions. Tucked away in the small town of Cavan, a 90-minute drive north of Dublin, the artists get a week to work together against the backdrop of Ireland’s rolling hills.

Along the way, the musicians had opportunities to learn from fellow creatives, including other musicians, fashion designers, and visual artists. Jeremy Ngatho Cole, Robin Velghe (RhymezLikeDimez), and Igloohost gathered for a panel moderated by Lea Ogunlami on the visual aspects of music.

Cole, a multi-hyphenate creative director, has worked with some of the buzziest acts on the cutting edge of British counterculture, like Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, and Ezra Collective. Most recently, Cole handled the creative direction for the tour posters and album artwork for Little Simz’s latest album, Lotus (which Rolling Stone called a “striking ode to the trauma and wisdom of truly growing up”). Cole explained that the way he visualizes art starts with the music, saying, “I approach as a listener to imagine what the album should look like.”

Velghe, an illustrator and animator, has made visualizers, music videos, and more for the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Dua Lipa, and Erykah Badu. In addition, he worked closely with Anderson .Paak on the visual language of his collaborative side project, NxWorries, cofounded by .Paak alongside producer Knxwledge.

Finally, producer and musician Iglooghost discussed the creative process behind designing the visuals for his latest album, Tidal Memory Exo, including submerging actual recording equipment for the album’s eye-catching artwork.

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