Artist On The Rise: Infinite Third
Everything about Billy Mays III seems to be open to interpretation. From his artist name Infinite Third, his label and artist collective “Remember You Are Dreaming”, to his music and performances.
I was eager to tap into to his realm after listening, reading, and watching some of his work. This talented artist shared some of his time to let us learn more about him and everything that comes with his movement.
Currently 28, Billy started taking music seriously almost 10 years ago and began playing live when he was 25. If his name sounds familiar, it’s no wonder; he is the son of the famous television salesman, Billy Mays. He describes his performance name as finding that balance between who others may assume him to be based on his family name and who he is on a deeper level.
To him, his debut album “Gently” represents a base of sorts. He reflects back on how much he has evolved and remembers a time in his life that dug deep into his being and brought forth the music we listen to today. In 2009, the same year he released that album, life hit him with two serious blows; His father’s death, and a fire that caused him to lose all of his possessions, including all of his music-making equipment. Faced with these circumstances, he started a new chapter in his life. His artistic approach and style took a new direction.
Although Infinite Third is a solo artist, he performs with a rather heavy amount of gear: A Gibson Les Paul guitar, an Egnater tube amplifier, a pedal board which holds 3 different delay pedals, 2 loop stations, reverb, distortion, and an octave generator. Contrary to what they used to be, his sets are a balance of pre-planning and improv. He realized over time that being fluid and not planning too much of his performance fit the picture he wanted to paint with his music.
When you talk to him you get a sense of rawness as a human being, someone who is reflective and doing his best to fulfill his life. He performs in various types of settings, from bars and festivals to yoga studios and coffee shops. He wants those in attendance to be open to his atmospheric textures and to experience whatever they may feel in that moment. Depending on the setting and song, some may lie down and soak in the sounds, move to the tribal influences, or practice flow arts.
Some of his larger performances so far have been at the Three Days of Light Gathering (where they have welcomed him back for three years straight), Culturefest, and r.EVOLution Festival. He has built strong relationships in the Asheville area where he lived for a year, but is now rooted back in St. Petersburg, FL. He is collaborating with fellow artists of all kinds; singers, songwriters, spoken word poets, digital video designers, photographers, flow artists, and more. To learn more about those projects visit http://www.RememberYouAreDreaming.com/
As he grows, Billy hopes to perform at Resonance Music and Art Festival, Sonic Bloom Festival, and Envision Festival, among others. He also has some other international events he would love to be a part of, but wants to figure out the most efficient way to travel overseas with all of his equipment.
He shared with me another artist’s approach that he finds similar to his in some ways, that of Dixon’s Violin, the world’s premier digital violinist whose music involves looping, improv, and a bit of a vibe you can move to.
Infinite Third wants to inspire reflection and share his music with as many people as possible, but he also wants to steer clear of attaching to a rigidly-defined vision, allowing it all to unfold organically.
Through his movement you find a person who is grounded, but open to flow. Someone who will make you think or allow you to just get lost in the music. He is being who he is and wants you to just be you.
To find out more about him and his projects you can visit http://www.infinitethird.com/
You can check out his music at http://music.infinitethird.com/ where he has over 20 releases, from EP’s to albums.