Punk Globe got the chance to speak with Justine Brown – singer, songwriter. Justine speaks about her solo-project – Easy Love and upcoming “Wander Feeler". Please enjoy!
Punk Globe: With “Wander Feeler” you wanted to create an album that flows from start to finish. Tell us, about that?
Justine: I was inspired by Badly Drawn Boy’s Bewilderbeast. There are a lot of instrumentals on that album and the songs flow into each other very nicely. For my album, parts weren’t exactly written intentionally to fade into each song, but with the instrumentals kind of giving you this little break, it flows smoothly in that way. I’m surprised at how well the songs connect to each other. Next time I want to really make that happen!
Punk Globe: Within your lyrics you speak about your past experiences – like with “Cool Type. Is it hard to rehash issues?
Justine: Usually it isn’t hard because by the time I’m finished with the song, my feelings for that person have changed. I am no longer angry or sad because so much time has passed! It makes me feel proud in a way though because when I sing it, I feel like someone else could relate to it in the moment if they are going through a similar situation. I like the feeling of putting something behind me by writing about it. It’s so satisfying.
Punk Globe: Are you a nostalgic person?
Justine: Yes, very much so. I like old things. My parents were always collecting vintage stuff. The thrift bug has passed onto me. I like to explore old worlds. I go into antique stores or thrift stores and see things that I didn’t even know existed. It’s so exciting for me to learn about them and see how they work and imagine them being used at the time they were made.
Punk Globe: Which songwriters have influenced you the most ?
Justine: Bjork has always been my favorite. When I first discovered her, I would listen to her songs and apply them to my life. Even though I knew the lyrics had nothing to do with what I was going through, the emotional part and the way she expressed her feelings through melodies felt similar to my own. I could relate to the sadness. I remember everyone in high school mentioning how weird she is whenever I brought her up. Now I see that as a compliment. She is so vulnerable and explores every part of herself. That has always been really inspiring to me. Now, when I write, I’m not so focused on the lyrics because the more vague they are the better. I have always payed attention to melodies first and related to songs in that way.
Punk Globe: Tell us about what you enjoy listening to?
Justine: I’m attracted to feelings of songs, not so much technicalities. I like songs that build up to the chorus and have a good structure. I like songs that create worlds and make me feel as if I’m in that world. Dynamics are important to me. I appreciate low-fi that makes me feel something. It’s so real in a way because it is more in-the-moment. It has been captured and not so planned out.
Punk Globe: While writing a song – what helps you to find the balance between musical side and the poetic side ?
Justine: I’m not much of a poet, so it mostly falls on the musical side! Lyrics will usually come last. But on occasion I’ll try write words that go with the melodies. I don’t want the words to flow badly, so I am conscious of it in a way.
Punk Globe: When did you start writing songs ?
Justine: After a breakup years ago, I moved back in with my parents. I had some extra time and a surge of inspiration. I picked up the guitar for the first time, but knew what to do because I’ve always played bass and drums. I’ve been surrounded by guitars all my life and knew bar chords. I just had to build up the finger strength at that point.
Punk Globe: You was born in Riverside and grew up in such an “artistic environment” –tell us a little bit about your childhood ?
Justine: I have fond memories playing outside with cats, camping at my dad’s bluegrass festivals, going to piano lessons in Redlands, and traveling around southern California. We took trips to the Big Bear and Ensenada often. At home my sister and I would sit at our craft table all day coloring and cutting out paper, crafting things. We listened to records that my dad would put on for us. I remember once, my sister and I read the lyrics off of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper vinyl and sang along.
Punk Globe: One of the songs on the record that resonated with me the most is “Never Alone” Tell us, what you were thinking about while writing this song ?
Justine: I had the melody in my head for years before I finished it. It was probably inspired by my sister Chelsea’s songwriting. We played in a band together called Summer Twins. A lot of her songs were influenced by 50’s music. That’s probably where this idea came from. The intro is very Santo & Johnny.
Punk Globe: How did you got you inspired to start something after Summer Twins ?
Justine: I started writing songs while still in Summer Twins. When we recorded our last full length Limbo, I added two songs that I had written to the album. This was my first time recording all of the parts myself. I decided to go solo because I am not good at letting go of control when I write songs. Chelsea and I were both wanted to continue to write our own songs individually.
Punk Globe: While playing in Summer Twins you played drums right? What made you switch to guitar ?
Justine: Yeah, I played drums for about 10 years. I decided to switch to guitar because that’s how I was writing my music. It is much harder to sing lead and play drums. The guitar is an exciting new terrain for me. It’s a magical and powerful feeling to be able to make loud sounds come out of an amp.
Punk Globe: You noticed that most of the melodies on the record were inspired by the nature and your numerous trips. Tell us a little bit about your sources of inspiration and writing these songs ?
Justine: It comes from what I am being inspired by at the time. So when I’m on tour, I’m constantly listening to new music, meeting new people, watching other bands play, and seeing beautiful things. I was listening to Brazilian music a lot, which is a lot of nylon string guitars. I was thinking of that. I would enjoy sitting in the back and strumming on my guitar until I thought of something or accidentally hit a note that I liked. I recorded my ideas straight into my phone using an iRig. For the vocals I would find a quiet space and record directly into the phone mic, adding reverb to make it sound good.
Punk Globe: When you write music, What role do the visuals play within your material ?
Justine: When I am seeing beautiful green nature, it makes me really happy. It uplifts my mood and keeps me feeling inspired.
Punk Globe: What are your future plans, Justine ?
Justine: I plan to keep creating songs. I have a collection of bedroom recordings that I want to release when I have a decent batch. I want to create things that are in sync with my beliefs. I want to do my best to stay true to myself when making future art so I can inspire others.
