Meet Justin Sanchez | Songwriter & Musician

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

Hi Justin, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?

My inspiration for writing music comes from the monotony of life. I think this is, ironically, unique for everyone from an outside perspective because people have various takes on how they choose to live. I think a lot of what I do and problems I face on a daily basis are pretty mundane and as a songwriter, I use the lyrics like a microscope for the listener to peer into a certain problem or situation I faced. I would hope the person listening can take that theme or subject and put it through their filters and life experiences and connect to it somehow.

Musically I’m inspired by indie rock and video game scores. I am a sucker for pop melody, hooks and song structures. Most recently, I’ve thought about mood in compositions a lot so I’ve been attempting to infuse that into my songwriting lately.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My band is Box, it was a side project while I played in other bands but now I’ve made it my main project. One of the obvious challenges was COVID when I released my album “Expense to Exist” where I was not able to perform. Once the pandemic started to “simmer down” I formed a band and we started rehearsing for the songs off of the newest release “Keepin’ it Together”. It’s a loud, fuzzy rock album I wrote when while I was looking for a new job.

Lately, I’ve been playing the open mics in North Hollywood and Highland Park as an acoustic set. Slowly building a network and being able to put the songs out into the universe.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d tell my friend to come hike at Hollyridge. I’m pretty new to the area too so we’d have to google for the low-key hikes. Then afterwards we’d eat at a korean bar-b-que spot called Baekojong in Koreatown. If my friend was a first-timer in the city I’ll take them to Hollywood and we’d walk and wander in that area for a bit. We’d probably hit up Amoeba at some point in the day. At night we’d go see a show at the Echoplex.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank my wife for her endless support, James Duran for introducing me to VoyageLA mag, and recently Universal Bar and Grill, specifically on Wednesday nights, for allowing local artists to showcase their art.

Website: linktr.ee/jstnsnchz

Instagram: @myband.box

Youtube: youtube.com/akoosticks

Image Credits
James Duran