Meet B Swizlo | Musician/Band Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with B Swizlo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi B, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As musicians and performing artists, taking risks is near the top of the list when making this career choice. We take risks with our creativity, building fans, and traveling to places as if we are traveling salesman. The reward that comes with taking risks is wonderful.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a keyboardist/producer who started out as a drummer, but found that I had an ear for melody and began writing music at a young age. This led me to a life of music in that I enjoyed working with others so forming bands was an easy path. What sets me apart is that my flair for improvisation and willingness to step outside the box has helped me create a sound not based on classical training, but much more a mashup of percussion and ear training. Once moving from Chicago, IL. to Los Angeles , CA, then to Humboldt County, I found myself at the epicenter of not only a rich music scene, but also a cannabis community widely known across the world. Living behind the redwood curtain posed many challenges for traveling musicians. Crossing paths with hip-hop Emcees and other musicians and DJs with like-minded goals, we founded a movement called Humboldt Hip-Hop, which for me, was a direct pathway to being part of something bigger than just me and a keyboard. Spanning 20 years, this path evolved to what is now my touring group called Object Heavy, which is signed to a record label called Color Red, as well as working with amazing producer Kelly Finnigan of a widely known group called Monophonics. The evolution of our sound which includes hard-hitting soul, elements of funk, R&B with a splash of hip-hop inspiration is all in celebration of our lives here in Northern California. From the band, to our lifestyle clothing brand, Fatbol, we have been able to spread our messages of love, music, art and culture.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A trip to Humboldt County can be rewarding in so many ways. Day one would include maybe a stop to one of the many organic restaurants or coffee shops in Arcata or Eureka. There is a lot of love put into food in this area. Many of the local restaurants feature products that come straight from local farmers which is extremely important to our economy. A driving adventure would be next on the list by going through the Avenue Of The Giants which is an amazing landscape of some of the largest redwoods in the world. Throughout the week, it would be fun and important to show off the culture of this area. We have amazing rivers. The Eel river, the Trinity, the Mad River all have wonderful places to fish, go boating, or swimming. The area is completely breathtaking. Along the way, it would be wise to stop at Septentrio Winery in Arcata, and a visit to the historic Eagle House hotel with the most amazing food served at Phatsy Kline’s. Also, the cannabis industry, now that it’s legal, can provide many opportunities including lounges and dispensaries where the best of the best products are available. There are so many places to go. Fern Canyon is a beautiful hike and the drive is breathtaking, and you can stop to see elk and other wildlife hanging out pretty much on the side of the road. Humboldt County is overall an amazing place rich with music, art and culture. Speaking of music, you can always find something good to listen to at the local farmers markets, live music venues and cafés. If you’re a fan of locally crafted beer, wine, kombucha or food, Humboldt County, California has it all. We are tucked away in the heart of the redwoods which is a temperate rainforest so you can almost find any kind of weather depending on the time of year you visit. Lastly, this area of California breeds more artists per capita than anywhere else in California so finding a beautiful art gallery like The Epitome Gallery, or cool shops in old town Eureka, as well as Arcata will be fruitful.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s important to recognize that my community in Humboldt County, California, my partners at Fatbol Clothing and my band mates with Object Heavy have been major influences on my musical and creative direction.

Website: www.objectheavymusic.com

Instagram: Objectheavy

Facebook: Object Heavy

Youtube: Object Heavy

Image Credits
James Kemp