Music: Interview with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin (California Soul)

What I love most about having an Indie blog is discovering new artists and sharing their talent! Our newest music interview is with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin. And, definitely, his music needs to be shared and find its place in world! Hear and learn more about Jef here!

Jef, tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and what is your background?

 

I am a southern fella originally from TN. I grew up with a natural inclination towards art and music, but spent most of my years playing sports. It wasn't until my latter years of high school in 2003-04 that I started to really dig into writing and recording. I received a full scholarship as a quarterback and was then that I reached a crossroads and made the switch to music as a career pursuit. 

 

That's a big switch, from sports to art! I'm sure glad you did it, because your music is awesome.

What genre do you consider yourself and who is your greatest influence?

I refer to my music as California soul. It's like if Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson had a baby. Both Stevie and the beach boys are massive influences in what I do. Anything Motown, James Taylor, John Mayer, etc...

 

It has a really nice, cool beat. Do you compose your songs? If so, what is your source of inspiration to compose? 

Yes. Anything that moves me as an experience. Deeper truths of life, love, struggle, hope etc. I try and pull from real experiences, real raw emotions. My main focus is to be a mirror for the listener. Something they can see themselves in and their true identity as beautifully unique individuals. 

 

That's great inspiration! When did you start singing/playing?

Started singing as early as I could open my mouth, but was a bit shy for a while to do it publicly. Started playing piano at 4 and guitar at 10. Didn't really start to write and perform publicly until my latter high school years, expect for the occasional school/church vocal competitions in elementary/middle school. 

Seems like your calling for music preceded your talent for sports! And I'm sure your fans are really happy about that. Talking about fans, what do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans? 

I love relating to them on a personal level. I want to remind them of who they are and their potential for accomplishing anything they believe in. It's always a blessing to be given a platform in which to tell people how loved they truly are.

Jef's new album cover

You're really motivational too! And what are your plans for the coming year? 

I am releasing a new album this year, a few music videos and also starting to record the next one which is already a complete thought. Completely written and formulated. Very excited about that one. By far my best work to date. 

 

We can't wait to hear! I bet it is. And we need to know where can we find your music!

Any digital outlet - itunes, Spotify, Google play, Youtube etc... Also on my website jefjoslin.com

 

Excellent! Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Just keep doing whatever it is that makes you happy. Believe in your dreams. They already believe in you. 

Thanks, Jef, it's been a pleasure to feature you and your music! Good luck to you and much success!

 

 

To find more about Jef and interact with him:  

 

Website: Http://jefjoslin.com

Facebook: Http://facebook.com/jefjoslin

Twitter: Http://twitter.com/jefjoslin

Instagram: Http://instagram.com/jefjoslin

Music: Interview with Music Entrepreneur Justin Barwick from DyverseProductions

Musical February! We will follow with another interview from the music world! This time, we met Justin Barwick, aka DjRipRidah, among other akas (check his site for more bio info)! He is the vibrant executive producer and promoter of DyverseProductions, a music label based in California. Let's find out more about Justin, the label and the music it represents!

Justin, tell us about http://www.dyverseproductions.com/ - how did you start the company? 

Dy-verse Productions is a record label I started with local talent artists and producers, whose main focus is to expand our music to wider audiences.

Excellent idea to promote locally! What's the story behind its name?

I wanted to start a record label with homegrown talent, and since I was working with a very diverse group of emcees, rappers and other artists, I wanted to name it something diverse and it ended up being Dy-verse Productions.

We'd love to know who is who in the label - please share your background!

Me and my friend used to run a promotions/street team company called Hardlife Ent. I grew a network of local talent while promoting mainstream artists, and I decided to break off and form my own label with talent from our neighborhood and we’ve done showcases, radio, TV, Internet, press and toured around northern California and the west coast expanding our names.

Justin is the label's executive producer

We understand you're trying to promote local artists from California, so who is your target audience?

Anybody interested in hearing underground music.

What genres does the label work with currently, and are there plans to expand to other genres? 

Hip-hop/rap/r&b/poetry and working with artists to combine new music.

What are your plans for the coming year? 

This year our main focus is to make new visuals and music for the people to enjoy.

Who are some of the artists you're promoting - can you share their albums? 

Dy-verse Productions promotes local talent from the California area. We are currently working on our 3rd compilation CD featuring a wide variety of emcees. One of the main artists is K-rek, who released "No Roads Can Hold Me" and is working on his second solo CD entitled "Toxic Files". Other artists included Roberto Sanchez, Nitris 211, Dre Dubb, Pill Cosby, Dynamic, and others.

 

Thanks, Justin, for a great interview, and good luck to the label and the artists. So before we go, tell us where can we sample and buy your music!

You can email directly at djripridah74@yahoo.com
Sites to sample and buy include:

www.dyverseproductions.com   

www.dyverseproductions.bandcamp.com

www.reverbnation.com/dyverseproductions

www.youtube.com/user/jbridah

www.twitter.com/@ripridah

www.soundcloud.com/justinbarwick