Meet Austin Jay | Recording Artist

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

Hi Austin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I feel like I’ve been an artist long before I know knew what the word “artist” meant. I’ve been writing songs since I was like 4 years old, I used to leave voicemail recordings on my parents phones with songs I had written, and kept a book of songs and poems when I was in lower school. Choosing to be an artist was really something that didn’t feel like a choice: it felt like something that was/is just apart of me, that just made sense. Growing up, it’s something that just became stronger. I used to say that I wanted to be a lawyer because I’m good at writing and read a lot, but deep down I knew the truth: music and writing were always going to be my future. I just needed to accept it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Something that I think sets me apart is my background, and specifically, how that informs my music and art. I grew up in a multi-racial environment, also I grew up as a Quaker, which is something most people don’t know, or if they do, they think it means I’m Amish (it doesn’t and I’m not). I won’t go into it too much, I always encourage people to go look it up and educate themselves, but in a nutshell, I’d say that Quakerism is a way of life, rather than a set of beliefs, that argues for the equality of all persons because of the conviction that every individual possesses an “inner light” that makes all humans inherently good, unless choosing otherwise.

Growing up in this enviornment, I was formed to embrace many different cultural influences. This obviously shows more than anything in my music. Combining 2000’s Pop/Rock with modern Hip/Hop is something that I didn’t consciously try to do, it’s something that came naturally because it reflects my experience and where I come from. I’ll always advocate for my music and image to reflect all of the different sides of me.

Being from a multi-racial background, I always felt stuck in my middle. It’s the classic “not black enough for the black kids, not white enough for the white kids” thing, and for so long I felt like I was no one, had no identity. It was hard, but music always got me through any struggles, so I just kept focusing on that passion. It wasn’t until moving to LA and joining a Rock band that I feel like my music career truly began, and I realized that I could create my own lane. In months, I was headlining major events Fright Fest and touring nationally as a lead singer. And I can only help that where I come from is at least a small reason for any future success.

So really, I feel like I stand out not because I mix different genres (tons of people do that) but because of my background. My music is a fusion because I’m a fusion; between white and black, between rap and rock, between happy and sad, between party music and ballads… I’ll always just be that kid who refuses to choose a side.

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?
Ohh I love this question! Well, I’d start the morning taking them on a run, I love to stay active and release all my pent up energy, and where I live is a nice place to walk/run around. Then maybe a mid-day pool party or a trip to the library that’s walking distance from me. One of my favorite spots in California is Malibu, so I’d go there. We’d drive along the coast and discover secret beaches and small places there that not many people know about, so I wouldn’t mention it here and spoil the secret! Haha. I will say, that one of my favorite spots in Malibu is Paradise Cove, it’s a great place to get some food and drinks, and just hang out on the beach. Then maybe hit up some parties or, my favorite, invite them to a show I’m doing that night or go to another concert of one of my favorite bands. In a dream world it would be catching a Paramore, Lincoln Park, Taylor Swift (yes I like her), or Foo Fighters Concert. I will always love support and be around live music, concerts, and music festivals, for obvious reasons.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a lot of people to shout out, so bear with me! First of all, I want to shout out the JayFam. The fans, the people who’ve been following me since the beginning, when I was just posting covers in my room, to those that started following me from being at my shows, to everyone I’ve met and connected with on tour and here in LA. I want to shout out my family for supporting me and loving me through the highs and lows. I want to shout out my amazing band, my brothers, for sticking it through with me through all the traveling and shows we’ve done so far. I want to shout out Zach Andrews, the Musical Director of my band as well as my bass player and brother. I want to shout out Caleb Hulin for producing so any song for me, as well as T Black, a super talented producer I’ve worked with remotely. I want to shout out all the bands that I’ve been the lead singer of, especially Earth to Mars and Magic Mountain, where I had the honor of being the lead singer for the annual Fright Fest. Special shout out to Constance Claire for designing some great fashion pieces for my live shows. I also would like to thank David Ross and Coach Lynn for being such amazing Managers, as well as Claire Donzelli for being an amazing Publicist.

Website: https://www.austinjay.net

Instagram: @daleaustinjay

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daleaustinjay/

Twitter: https://x.com/DaleAustinJay

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhC_DcyNuFI

Image Credits
Photography: Alberto De Jesus