By Victoria Canales
Music fans will be kicking off this June with the brand-new single “Kay” from singer-songwriter Justin Lorencez. Known for his infectious melodies and a voice somewhere between Ezra Koenig and Nick Rattigan, Justin has amassed thousands of streams all over the world. Laredo Music Scene sat down with him to talk about his biggest inspirations, the writing process, and quietly going insane after a year-long live performance drought.
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How long have you been making and playing music?
“I started playing guitar first in the sixth grade. I didn’t really get it at first; I was like ‘Man, that’s hard.’ I kinda dropped it a little bit, but in the seventh grade, I actually ended up picking it up again, and then bass, and then drums, and even a little bit of piano! It just got a little easier, and after that, I never stopped playing. I think it was that same year that I started recording with Garageband on my phone in my little closet. Dude, that’s where I started recording! And then in either eighth or ninth grade, I started releasing. I was like, ‘I gotta get the nerve to release music now.’ Everything after that--you know, I’ve been producing, so I got actual software where I could record my songs, started doing things differently, and yeah! I’ve been doing this for a couple years now.”
Where were you releasing the songs? Did you use SoundCloud?
“Yeah, that’s where I was first releasing the songs, but after about two years I was like ‘I need to start recording better so I can put them out on better streaming services.’
You mentioned a lot of different instruments. Are you self-taught?
“Yeah! So I was really inspired by other people--like, they live their lives around music and it’s their career. So I used to watch youTube videos of other artists and be like ‘I can do that, I can do that.’ I would try it, and of course it takes a lot of practice, but yeah, I’m self-taught.”
Which musicians would you watch? Who’s your biggest inspiration?
“I actually started playing guitar because of James Hetfield from Metallica. I just loved how fast he was; I was like, intrigued by it, and I remember pretending to be in concerts in my room! I learned a lot of Metallica songs since they were so fast. I would put on backing tracks, set up my amp in my room,and just pretend that I’m playing with them. That’s kinda where I first envisioned myself playing for a crowd: in my room. I’d also see Brandon Flowers from The Killers, since he mostly sings and plays the keyboard, and Matty Healy from The 1975, and the Strokes. These musicians, I wanna say that they’re in everything that I play. They’ve played a big role in the music I play, and they’re big inspirations still. That’s just how it goes. People who are out there, doing it for real, are going to inspire you no matter what. That’s what I want to do for other people.”
How would you describe your music?
“Hmm… I think my solo stuff is very all over the place. I don’t think I have a genre, but I do want to say that it’s the most alternative it can get. When I say ‘alternative,’ I say that because it doesn’t really conform to any other genre.”
What’s your songwriting process? Is it music first, lyrics first, or somewhere in between?
“Most of the time, I’ll play something on my guitar, or I’ll play around with my keyboard, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I like how this sounds.’ And then I’ll turn my laptop on and record it and see what I can do with it. For example, I’ll record something with an acoustic guitar, and then next thing you know, I’m adding electric guitar, and then bass, and then I’m writing lyrics for it! So it’s very spontaneous sometimes.”
You’ve got a new song coming up! What’s the story behind it?
“The beat itself--I don’t want to say it’s uplifting, but it’s kinda fast, but it has to mask what I’m actually saying. I was very naked in the lyrics. It’s about, you know, a love for someone that I didn’t really want to let go of, and that I still don’t want to let go of. I just woke up one day, started playing guitar, and started singing, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was their name. It was so simple, and it’s very beautiful when things come together like that.”
Cover art for "Kay".
Do you have any upcoming projects planned?
“Yeah, we’ve got something a little bit unorthodox. The band and I don’t usually play live shows streamed on Instagram Live and stuff like that. I did some of those when quarantine started but you know, it’s not the same thing. But we are planning to stream a show soon! It’ll be for “Fool4u'', since the song reached 10,000 streams on Spotify.”
Congrats! That’s so exciting. How long has it been since you played a live show?
“Dude, it’s been like a year, almost two years. You go insane! Like, what am I supposed to do now? But once you feel like you’re getting closer to playing shows, you start to feel better.”
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Justin posted a teaser for the song on his Instagram, @justi.fuk, and the reverb-drenched guitars and lo-fi sensibilities promise great things. “Kay” by Justin Lorencez will be out on streaming services tomorrow, June 1st.
