If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked singer, songwriter, and producer Jacob Collier — who recently partnered with Crocs and released his U.S. tour dates — about his paperless notebooks, reliable headphones, and baggy corduroys he wears onstage.
I write a lot in my creative endeavors and as a human being. I keep all different kinds of diaries for different flavors of thoughts. These, which have four different colors, let me explore and highlight different ways I’m thinking. I tend to alternate between blue and black so I can differentiate my days. The green and red are more decorative, but I love them. And these pens are also super-cheap and super-accessible.
As I mentioned, writing is a very important part of my own, personal self-expression. I’ve always been on the lookout for sustainable ways of living, and I recently came across this idea of notebooks made out of stone rather than out of trees. I was blown away by how beautiful the pages are. It’s soft, silky. It’s incredibly appealing to write on. It absorbs the ink in a gorgeous way.
Last year, I was trying to find ways to keep my voice healthy on the road. I was studying and being advised by the wonderful vocal coach Emma Stevens, who swears by this stuff. It’s a pretty ancient syrup from China that’s used for all things vocal, and it’s extraordinarily healthy for you. I have a spoonful whenever any part of my health goes downhill. A fun fact: Because it’s a naturally thick dark liquid, it’s commonly used on film sets as poison or even blood. I only recently found that out, and it made me laugh.
I’m a fruit bat and always have been. Mangoes are just the epitome of joy in the world. They’re magnificent in every form, whether they’re fresh, dried, mango juice, mango sorbet, or mango lassi. As a touring musician, you get a rider for every show. Some musicians have lavish riders like a piece of jewelry or crazy crystals or a luxurious Jacuzzi. For me, the first thing on mine is mangoes, followed by a couple of other things like pomegranates and guacamole.
While I was playing festivals this past summer, my band and I did a show in Vienna. It was one of the best shows of the entire tour. I noticed this at the venue and at the hotel. I think I’d come across it before peripherally, and I figured this was the moment to give it a try. It knocked me out. I loved it so much that I ordered a box of 24 bottles to London immediately so I could have them when I got back from the tour. It’s all the best stuff mixed together: a little bit of ginger ale, cream soda, and elderflower. It’s like all of my favorite flavors in a drink. It’s not heavy and super-refreshing.
In my music, I layer my voice on top of itself to create a big harmony. When there’s 50 to 100 recordings of my own voice on top of itself, the quality of that microphone is revealed. I’d been looking for the microphone of my dreams for a while and went with this one because it’s legendary in the music industry. My particular one is special, though. A couple years ago, I sent it to Klaus Heyne, who essentially tunes and modifies microphones to suit particular voices. (He’s done this for Whitney Houston and all sorts of extraordinary people.) He put a custom-made U47 capsule inside my U87, which is rather outlandish. It’s a very interesting hybrid of a very dark, rich, and deep sound that’s also very bright and clear. Ever since then, I swear by this microphone. It’s been used for the last few albums I’ve created and at the center of my album I’m currently finishing up. It’s really the most important gear that I own.
If you’re a painter, you might use a particular easel or paper. If you’re a video designer or editor, you might use a particular editing software. In music, it’s no different. This is basically my musical canvas where I can put tracks and audio. I’ve been using it for almost 20 years. I remember getting it for my 11th birthday. It’s an amazing piece of software that’s affordable for what you get. I’ve created thousands of different songs and ideas using it. I mix my songs on it myself. Having a workstation that I trust is very important in my workflow.
It’s funny — a few years ago I was one of the few people wearing these. Now, I look around on airplanes or on the train, and it seems like everybody’s wearing them. I think it’s awesome, because I care a lot about the quality of sound folks are listening to. These headphones are the absolute clearest, even compared to the newer model No. 5, in my opinion. The bass is enormous but not overwhelming. You can hear all the details of the high end. I listen to reference mixes on these. I’ve mixed my own songs on these before. I travel with them absolutely everywhere. I know them very well and can always trust them.
I’ve been a big fan of Kidill over the years, but I love this particular jumper the most. I came across it a few months ago when I was playing some shows in Tokyo. When it comes to fashion for me, I don’t really care about what’s hip or cool. I just want warm garments that are extremely comfortable and feel like me. They’ve nailed it with this one.
I’ve also been a fan of the company Fried Rice for a while. They make clothing that really pops. I have four pairs of these corduroy trousers in bright blue, orange, green, and pink. While touring, I’d rotate those four trousers and change up my top. (Normally, I’d just wear a plain white long-sleeve shirt.) The pants are incredibly spacious and baggy, which makes them great to perform in. First, because they’re easy to move in. We have about 100 musical instruments onstage, and I have to run between them all during the performance. Second, because they’re loud and clear. For example, we performed at Glastonbury Festival this summer. If you’re standing in the back of 30,000 people, it’s hard enough to see the performer. This makes it a bit easier.
Back in 2016, I was walking around L.A. with a friend Genevieve Artadi, who’s in the band Knower. We walked past this shop window with a bust of a head wearing this bear hat. I was so drawn to it, and she was like, “Oh, I’ll buy that hat for you right now on one condition: You wear that hat every single day for the rest of your life.” And I agreed to those terms. It’s now become something my fans know me for, and I’ve received many custom bear hats and animal hats from fans. I’m quite delighted by it, especially when they make their own hats for me or wear them to my shows. So the idea of the bear hat isn’t specific to a particular one. It’s more tied to this idea of my love for my fans and how I’ll always be forever indebted to my dear friend.
I’ve been rocking Crocs since I was about 8 years old, when they first launched, amid continuous derision of my peers. To be completely honest, I haven’t worn anything but Crocs except for when I’m driving a car or going on a run for maybe the last three or four years. I’m overjoyed that they are having a moment right now and cool people wear them now. I’m very proud of my collaboration with Crocs, which came out when I released my single “Wellll.” I designed them myself. They have zigzags and instrument jibbitz. I wear them almost every day.
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