Multi-Talented UK Artist J.J Leone Connects With DCWS To Discuss His Recently Released Album "The Rebuild" And More
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J.J Leone is a UK based singer-songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer whose new single "Loving Someone" off his recently released album "The Rebuild", is one of our favorite tracks at the moment. We connected with J.J to find out how the "Loving Someone" single came about, whether there is a significance behind his album's title and much more.
After reading our exclusive Q&A with this multi-talented artist, be sure to show your support by streaming/downloading on iTunes "The Rebuild" below, sharing the visual for "Loving Someone" and following J.J on Twitter and Instagram.
If you had to choose between being an artist or producer for the rest of your musical career, which would you choose? Why?
An artist 100%. I really think there's something special about having a message and it actually being you singing and putting it out there from a personal perspective and letting other people hear that. I like producing, I was a producer before I found out I could really sing, but for me I think people will always listen to a singer-songwriter with a story.
We're big fans of your latest single "Loving Someone"; tell us about how that track came together. Did you produce it yourself?
Thank you! I sat down and wrote that track in the space of an hour! It actually happened right after a girl called me 'heartless' and that I was too closed off and hard to break down, so I was like how many other people really think that about me? Maybe I don't tell those closest to me enough how I feel about them, so I tried to communicate it in the way that is easiest for me; through music. But it's also about me adressing the other side of that like yeah maybe I do find it difficult to open up to people, and this is why. I write all of my own songs, completely by myself. The production is always done by me in my bedroom but I work with a couple of other guys on the production side of things too, so they can polish it and make little changes that only a fresh pair of ears can pick up.
Congratulations on the release of your new album "The Rebuild". Is there a special significance behind the album title?
I knew I was going to call my album 'The Rebuild' before any of the songs for it were written and before it took on the vibe that it did anyway. It comes from my own experience, I was at a crossroads in my life where I had given up part of my dream for something that I also really wanted, and it came to a point where I thought, I can carry on down this road, or rebuild my career, my relationships, and start everything again from scratch. 'Lost' from the album is probably the most honest song on the record that describes how I felt in that very moment where I had just come out the other side and began to realise how much my life was going to change.
Tell us about the development of the album. How long did it take to write and record the album's songs?
Luckily because I can do everything myself apart from mastering, the development of the album was a really smooth process, I don't have to wait for other producers, ghost writers or a label to give me the go ahead on a release either - I'm a really quick worker! As soon as I get a cool sounding melody, guitar riff, meaningful lyrics I really can't let it go and will work at it solidly until I can build a whole song around it. The songs for the album were all finished and ready within the space of four months. Trust me, it felt a lot longer! For every decent song I've written, there's at least 40 bad ones that will never see the light of day!
Will we be able to see you perform live in the U.S. in support of the new album this year?
Man, I really hope so! The States is a place I'd really love to go and play music, they always seem to receive my material really well and I've got some lovely messages of support like 'Your song really meant something to me'. Unfortunately I can't always go to all the places I would like to because being an independent artist with no funding, no label, agent or manager it's difficult to raise the funds to do an international tour, but luckily the exposure 'The Rebuild' has been getting, thanks to guys like you, has enabled me to be heard by more and more people in different positions within the industry. I can't say too much right now, but I hope to be in the US very soon!
Stream/Download "The Rebuild" on iTunes -- https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-rebuild/id1209879633