Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Of course! I love talking about myself (6’5 btw). I’m really just an all around good guy. Passionate about hugging my friends and shoplifting from Target (allegedly). When I am not writing my little smash hits I like to frolic in the woods. As a youngin my dad forced me to listen to the Spin Doctors a lot. You never really shake that trauma. We all have Two princes inside us. One is a wolf. One is my dad.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “JJ Sweetheart”?
A: Honestly I have been getting really into manifesting lately. Me and my dad will sit at a table and just keep whispering “Big things coming” until I tell him to stop. For anyone just discovering my music my message is simple. Never cross me, and stay tuned for big things.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Lingua ignota. I can’t go into too much more detail about that but I find it very calming and puts me in the right creative headspace. Also all my friends and their artistic endeavors. My friends keep me rolling for sure.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Cinnamom.”?
A: Yes this is actually wholesome and not about the spin doctors. I worked at a wildlife rehab center after I went to school for Wildlife Biology. We save some of the cutest critters imaginable and one time we got in a Leucistic (Genetic condition that shows up as partial loss of pigment in fur) Virginia Opossum and she had babies. She was Cinnamon colored and also a mom so I called her Cinnamom. The tough part about working with wild animals is you don’t always get the result you were hoping for. I named it to honor her and also the rehab center that I worked at because I met some wonderful people.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: STINK
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Cinnamom”?
A: Well the initial recording was really rough. I recorded all the vocals literally outside in the Arizona desert while hiking using the microphone on my iphone, and then the instruments on a phone app, and had a friend (Tom Mandery) play drums but it was kind of a nightmare to get the levels right. So my good friend Chris Heidman (Sukpatch, Hifi Project) re-recorded the vocals and hooked me up with Coleman Trapp of Coast Modern, and he really produced it properly and made it sound much better. Thanks big dawg Coleman if you are reading this please help me. Would love to work more with you my guy. Being your own DIY musician, producer, and promoter is not a vibe. I wanted to try and do everything myself with this project and self release it. I am over that please sign me Sony Records.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I feel like there is always some sort of Romantic, Yearning, Emotional trashbag sentiments being spewed. I like talking about my feelings and mental health. My goals are literally just to know that a few people, genuinely felt something when listening. Like they understood, or got goosebumps. When people reach out to me and tell me a song I wrote is on repeat or something, I can live off that feeling.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: I know this isnt realistic but YEAT. I would also really like to work with Prim Woes. My goal for my next record is to do more features with songwriters. I want you to sing a verse on my song, or write a stinky bass solo, ! Ill save you a bar. Slide in my DMs if you think our sounds would be cool together. Im making a list right now. Are the spin doctors still alive? I interview you now. Lemme know.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Release your music. You dont need to keep re recording it and get in an expensive studio. There are alot of people that actually appreciate lofi recording and lots of people that need big studio sound. But everything has a niche. Think of the worst song you have ever heard and even that sound has a niche. Focus on releasing and promoting to keep testing the waters and finding the freaks that LOVE what you put down. I think as artists we tend to be too self critical, and worry to much about other peoples opinion. People will be mean regardless of the quality, you could write the best flawless song and you are still going to have haters. Haters of your image, sound, and politic. If you let someones goofy opinion of you dictate your self worth as a musician you are not going to enjoy making art, Stay true to yourself and find the people that align with what you put down. Its really rare that people will just stumble upon your music you have to believe what you do and go to shows and network. Meet people. Touch grass. Have an ego death.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Noooooooooo
