Interview: Catching Up With BlackJeans + Stream “Lap Dog”

We here at GroundSounds are always excited to share a new artist on the rise with you and today is certainly no exception. Hailing from Long Island, multi-talented musician BlackJeans draws influence from both modern and classic sounds to create an exciting swirl of pop-rock.

Born into a Puerto Rican/Italian family, the rhythms at the heart of the music of those cultures along with an interest in the theater growing up has culminated in BlackJeans’ electric aesthetic. Evidenced on the artist’s latest single, “Lap Dog,” all of the goods are in place for a future on larger and larger platforms and stages.

To get to know BlackJeans a little better, we sent him some interview quesitons to go along with a stream of “Lap Dog.” Check out our interview with BlackJeans and look for “Lap Dog” and more on Spotify here.

https://soundcloud.com/black-jeans-on-a-hot-day/lap-dog-1/

Hi, BlackJeans! Congrats on your new single. Can you tell us a little more on who you are and how you first got into making music?

What up GroundSounds? Thank you, feels real good to be getting these tunes out!

I’m just a person who’s doing their best to encourage people to sport their meanest stink faces and get a little down and dirty in the process, ya know what I mean?

I was hit with a lot of music from a young age. My parents were always playing Stevie Wonder, Louis Prima, Tina Turner, The Jacksons, Frank Sinatra. Then I had my grandmother teaching me a lot of songs like “My Blue Heaven” by Gene Austin and “The Gangs All here”. It was really performing to my grandmother all the time that really set me on the path to what I’m doing now.

What’s your songwriting process like? Who are some of your biggest influences?

Songwriting usually starts with me singing into my phone. Whether it’s a bass line, vocal hook, chord progression, or beat always varies. Then I’ll sit down with the idea at the computer or piano and start producing out the track. I’ll program drums, lay down synth bass, get the keys siting nice, and then onto vocals.

Going at it alone can be daunting so I’m very lucky to have a team of collaborators who come in to help me finish up things on the production end or track the instrumentation that I’m not fluent in. I think its super important to have people you love and trust help you realize your vision and give you that perspective that you just can’t have on your own.

These days I’m feeling particularly inspired by the production team “ Shampoo, press, and curl”.

How did you arrive at the themes for your first few singles?

These songs definitely explore that particularly strange time, our mid 20s. It’s a big transitional stage. So many people I love are putting on their “adult clothes’, going to their “adult jobs”, getting engaged, buying homes, you know how it goes. While that is all exciting in its own way, I recognize that I don’t particularly align with those milestones. I’m definitely more caught up in the wonder and chaos of everything right now and have a strong urge to explore where it takes me. This doesn’t come without a battle of anxiety and confusion but it continues to feel worth it.

Any new NY-based artists/venues/purveyors of the arts you could turn our readers onto?

Absolutely! First off shout out to my band, they’re all so talented and have their hands in so many projects Alex Kaufman, Brandon Dove, Tom Costa and Ethan Smestad be sure to check them out!

I’ve also started a new project with some of my closest collaborators, Aire Atlantica, Tk The Architect, and Zuli. We’re called Camp Taconic. You might call us a boy band, and you might be right. We dropped an album in August and have a bunch on the way.

Lastly, this year I’ve had the absolute pleasure producing an artist called Ernest Brockenberry, and thats his real name. He’s also the face of glossier because he’s so damn handsome. Peep his music!

Where can we follow you and where can our readers catch you live next?

You can follow me on Instagram @Blackjeansonahotday and on Spotify! My next show is February 1st at Elsewhere Zone One!

Any parting thoughts? Open platform!

If you’ve read this far, I encourage you to create something today. Something you’ve always wanted to make but never got around to it. Flex that imagination and share it with a friend.

Thanks for chatting with me GroundSounds