Meet Austin Jay | Recording Artist: Singer/Rapper

We had the good fortune of connecting with Austin Jay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Austin, what principle do you value most?
For me, authenticity matters more than anything. I try to remain sincere and authentic in my music and how I present myself articlally to the world. I’ve been to a lot of music meetings where it felt like people were telling me how to talk, to dress, what image I must present, but I have to have the confidence to say no, this is who I am and this is what I want to say. All of the music artists I’ve ever loved have had a unique vibe, a differentness about them that made them stand out. They had the autheticity to be themselves and stand out. That is excactly the kind of artist I want to be.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Fusion music may mean different things to different artists, but for singer/rapper Austin Jay, it‘s personal. Growing up in a multi-racial environment in the suburbs of Maryland and attending Quaker schools, Austin’s early years were formed to embrace many different cultural influences. Combining 2000’s Pop/Punk with modern Hip/Hop, Jay has always advocated for his music and image to reflect all of the different sides of him.

“I always felt like I didn’t completely fit in with the Rock and Emo kids, but I didn’t completely fit in with the Hip-Hop kids either. For years I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, so that must mean I’m just nothing, no one,” Austin recalls.

It wasn’t until moving to LA and joining a Rock cover band that Austin’s music career truly began, and he realized he had the talents to create his own lane. In months, he had developed a local following, headlining events such as Six Flags Magic Mountain’s annual “Fright Fest” show and then touring nationally as the lead singer. This following became international when his creative covers of Billie Eillish’s “Ocean Eyes,” Drake’s “Hotline Bing,” and Khalid’s “Location” went viral on TikTok and Instagram, gaining him 80K+ followers on instagram and 350k collective streams on Spotify, all before the release of his EP. That caught the attention of industry professionals who’ve helped him hone his sound and brand, including several grammy-nominated producers and the legendary “Mama Jan.”

Austin Jay’s music, described as “Pop/Punk-Meets-Trap,” is a fusion because Austin himself is a fusion; between white and black, between rap and rock, between boy-next-door and devil… he’s still just that kid who refuses to choose a side. Instead, Austin Jay creates his own lane, writing, singing, rapping, and performing music that is lyrically and vocally challenging with a knack for emotional intensity and rhythmic delivery. He can belt out a power ballad in 4 octaves just as convincingly as he can Fast Rap in quick syncopation, setting stages on fire with his incredible energy and punk-rock influences. He has already been featured and received glowing reviews from music industry heavyweights like Crowns and Earmilk.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would first take my friend to Malibu. Even though I live in Beverly Hills, I like to go to Malibu to get away from the city, I also get a lot of creative inspiration there, I’ve written a lot of songs there. I would take a friend to Duke’s and another secret restaurant I would like to keep secret lol. I also love hanging out in Burbank and Glendale.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out the LA pop/punk music scene for embracing me as a singer. When I first moved to LA, I didn’t yet have the confidence to fully embrace my true rocker self. However, after getting the oppurtunity to be the lead singer at Fright Fest at Magic Mountain 2 times, I realized that I really wanted to go more in an alternative direction musically. I’m so grateful that I was trusted with this music and embraced in that world.

Website: https://www.austinjay.net/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daleaustinjay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaleAustinJay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AustinJayMusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daleaustinjay

Image Credits
Adel Rabinovich Photography