Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I don’t talk about my childhood much; mainly because I wouldn’t be interested in hearing about anyone else’s, lol. There’s already enough going on in the present and I’m not very sentimental. The past is so subjective. I think the only thing that truly matters is who you are today. I mean, when someone arrives at a party, I don’t really care which route they took to get there… I just want to enjoy their company.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world?
A: Right now I’m open to opportunities but I’m also not aggressively “making plans; Doing as much as I’m capable of each day ” and just kinda taking things as they come for the moment. I’m sure I’ll have a different answer in a few months though.
What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “CJ SLEEZ”?
A: If you like garage-punk and trashy hard rock, give it a shot!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now?
I am a huge admirer of Juliette Lewis. She’s so multi-talented and her band is amazing. She seems to have endless ambition and stays active in so many different creative projects.
And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Mainly from listening to other music. Rock n roll energizes me like nothing else can. Losing myself in some good loud tunes always makes me feel perfectly centered and ready to explode all at once. Going to live shows is always a good kick-in-the-ass too. I find the energy of a killer live band completely contagious and also addictive in the best way. It’s electric!
Making music is so crucial for me as it’s the best way I’ve found to manage/cope with my mental illness. It’s cathartic; like mixing therapy, creative expression and aerobic exercise all in one. I get all this chaos building up and the most positive way I’ve found to release that energy is through music and performance. It’s liberating.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Waging War.”?
A: This song’s pretty light-hearted. It’s basically about instigating a dance fight/dance off at a club; about waging war- on the dance floor. It’s a fun spirited single meant to pump you up.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Sleezy
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Waging War”?
A: The recording studio can either be a party or a pressure cooker and this one leaned more towards the latter. The reality is, that a lot of the studio atmosphere comes down to budget = time. When a label is involved and footing the bill, there’s not as much stress involving time constraints, but this time I funded it independently so we had a set number of hours to record. As things fall behind throughout the day (as they inevitably do) it takes time away from other slots of recording time. I was incredibly grateful to have Chris Snow there producing and keeping “the train on the tracks” so to speak, or it would have been WAY worse. So by the time we got to vocals (as they’re generally done last) we had very little time left and I ended up singing them straight through live. It was the first time I’ve recorded final vocals that way and it was good in the sense that it tested my abilities as a singer to perform under pressure, but emotionally it was challenging. In the end, every adversity is a learning experience and growth/change is often uncomfortable. It’s always great to get back in the studio though, especially after such a long break and I hope to record some more new material in the new year.
Q: What is the message of your music?
A: I don’t really have a message, I’m not one to preach to people. I make music simply because if I don’t, I’ll fully go mad. I’ve taken breaks but have always come back to it because it’s the only thing that seems to fit. I mean, life’s no carnival, and for me, singing releases that suffering in a meaningful way.
And what are your goals as an artist?
A: My goals constantly swing between ‘major world relevance’ and ‘just trying to get through the friggin day’, lol. I suppose the best ‘goal’ any of us can have as artists is just to make good art.. to make music worth listening to…to express yourself in a way that moves people and somehow connects you to the world.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Hmmm…Nikki Sixx maybe? I’m sure he’s still got some sick riffs in him and I think his brand of 80’s LA glam could be a cool mix with my gritty sleazy, garage-punk style.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: I suppose it depends on what field… In my experience, as far as playing original music anyway, it’s not so much a financially solvent “career”, as it is a calling. Do it, absolutely! But do it because you’re passionate about the process, not because you crave admiration or think it might someday make you rich. To be involved in making music is a blessing and a true gift in itself so I would always encourage people to try, but at the same time, it’s tough… like 95% struggle and 5% pure glory lol. Beyond the ‘glow of the show’ it’s actually a ton of work that often costs rather than pays so be ready to sacrifice to feed your dream or it’ll die out fairly quickly.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: I wouldn’t have listened anyway, lol! I’m not one for regrets and while I’m sure there’s many things that I could have done better, I also believe that I’ve generally dealt with things in the best way that I was capable of handling it in that moment. Nothing’s ever going to be perfect because we exist in a flawed world and experiencing mistakes is a big part of what builds our character.
