Exposed Vocals Interviews John Justise

Located in the suburbs of Chicago, John Justise, has been passionately involved with music since 2001, when he was still in high school. However, John has always been musically inclined. At just seven years old, he began showcasing his musical talents to the world by playing the drums for his hometown church choir.

What began as a hobby in high school eventually transcended into a profession. After being introduced to Fruity Loops by a friend in high school, John was inspired to pursue his lifelong passion. Ever since then, he has actively pursued his musical talents as a producer. John began his career by producing the Soul Lites instrumental series. Although he’s always made production his first priority, he did a handful of solo vocal projects in collaboration with other musicians as a way of experimenting, later writing and recording vocals to his own beats in order to successfully get his music heard.

The nucleus of John’s musical passion is his venting process: a pen and paper. Through this process, he has proven his abilities with creating beautiful R&B music, with influences from experimental, alternative, electronica and jazz. He is constantly inspired by the things around him, from his own life experiences and beyond. He has cited his main musical influences as The Neptunes, Nicolay, Dwele, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

John’s main goal is to continue making great music to share with the world.

Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?

 

John Justise: I was able to see their Twitter account and inquired about how I was able to become a part of their music community.

 

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

 

John Justise: I grew up in a small suburban town west of Chicago. I started singing as early as I can remember. A lot of musicians have their “started in church” stories so I suppose I also fall in that category. Started playing the drums in church which got me more involved, which is important at the age of seven. When I got to high school, an old friend introduced me to Fruity Loops and I was hooked. I always wanted to learn how music was constructed. I have producing ever since and just recently started combining my vocals with my own tracks.

 

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

 

John Justise: I am somewhat of a comics guy. Though my alliance is with DC Comics, I actually got inspiration from a not so known Marvel character. I was big into superheroes when I was younger and wanted a name that resonated with me. It also helped that the initials are the same as my real name!

 

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

 

John Justise: At the end of the day, music is different to everyone. For me, I want everyone to hear great music and fall into an artistic state of mind without having to worry about paying especially since I’m unknown. My music is free as of now, but who knows what the future holds.

 

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

John Justise: Do your research and find what works best for you as well as your brand.  Brainstorm as many ways for you to promote your project target 3-5 top avenues that will deliver the best results. It is different for everyone. At the end of it, just follow through and never give up!

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

 

John Justise: I haven’t performed in a long time, but I’m sure my mistakes were bigger to me than to the audience. I have a semi perfectionist type of mentality so even little things bug me a bit. Recently, I was told to look at the bigger picture and just enjoy the moment.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

 

John Justise: I currently don’t tour right now, but have some plans in the works!

 

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

 

John Justise: Landscapes and general scenery are my favorites. There is nothing like catching a sunset while driving. I do some of my best work by doing mindless tasks such as cleaning. Sometimes lyrics come first and other times, a melody will spark inspirational lyrics. It all depends on where I’m at mentally.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

 

John Justise: I do have a Bandcamp page as well as a Soundcloud. Those are my primary musical outlets that I have been using for a while.

 

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

 

John Justise: I really don’t have anything that I’m embarrassed about on my IPod. If I had to pick, I would say I still have a Space Ghost BBQ cd that my brother gave to me when I was younger. It still is amusing!

 

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

 

John Justise: With no hesitation, I would pay off those student loans from my school. After that, it’s travelling time. I have to see the rest of the states and then, travel the world. I would first go to South Africa.

 

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

 

John Justise: I work primarily in Logic Pro. I recently bought the AKG C314 which I LOVE!

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

 

John Justise: Radio airplay, e-mail lists, and actually Twitter have all been my biggest successes. It’s a great way to target and engage your audience immediately.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

 

John Justise: That’s such a hard question. It would either be between Michael Jackson or Stevie Wonder. I grew up on that musical style and it would be a dream come true.

 

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

 

John Justise: I am currently working on my next project. We are a quarter way in, but really following in the footsteps of Continuity with a little more cohesiveness. There is no timeline or release date but some new material will hopefully be hitting people’s ears soon.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

 

John Justise: Finishing up school, which is what I’m doing now. I’d end up either working in HR or a marketing agency. Gotta love that corporate life!

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

 

John Justise: Wow, this is taking me back. I think the first cd I bought was Timbaland and Magoo’s “ Indecent Proposal.” What a classic! I was really influenced by 106 and Park back in the day and was drawn in by all Timbaland affiliated records.

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

 

John Justise: God has given me the gift and ability to manage what I love with what I am required to do. Time management is huge so I have to stay organized as well as plan out which days are dedicated to music and which days are dedicated to school.

 

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

 

John Justise:  Justise