Read the JC Interview below and share it on social media.
Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
Hi I'm JC, I'm an artist and DJ and I've been making music for a few years now – but only recently gotten serious again after a hiatus from producing.
I make mostly future house music and UK Garage currently, similar to the likes of Gorgon City, Low Steppa and Tchami. But I also take inspiration from other genres such as Progressive and Electro House.
As a DJ, I like to create mixtapes to fill in the time between any new releases. Not only to give fans something new to hear as often as possible, but also to provide myself with new inspiration for remixes and original music by myself.
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years?
When I first decided to try and make my own music I was still pretty young, around 14 if I remember correctly. I'd just discovered Deadmau5 thanks to his collaboration with Kaskade for 'I Remember' and the rest is history as they say. I wanted to emulate Deadmau5's signature style but it took a few years of tinkering with various ideas to see that I shouldn't try to replicate someone else if I wanted to make a name for myself in the music industry.
So as I was in the middle of some pretty important exams outside of music, I decided to take a hiatus from producing to reinvent myself and the sound I wanted to create. Unfortunately, due to some personal issues this went on for longer than I expected but I like to think that the extended break helped me find better inspirations.
I was still making mixtapes and performing DJ sets during this time so was always on the look out for new and upcoming styles to take my DJ performances to the next level, which is how I found out about artists like Feed Me, Tchami and Gorgon City. Three artists that I'd say paved the way for my new sound.
What´s new right now?
I started producing music again in 2016 and decided that to explain to fans about why I'd been silent for so long with a new concept EP exploring a more chilled and ambient sound. This EP was released on my Soundcloud as 'CreativMntality' and tells the story of a person suffering from a mental health problem, such as depression, and the downward spiral they can experience during a particularly bad time with it. This issue is something very close to my heart and I not only wanted to use this outlet to explain my absence from music, but also to raise awareness for mental health and hopefully get more people to see past the taboo status it holds.
Now that I'm back producing, I'm currently working on a new EP featuring the new sounding JC. Which I hope to have complete by the end of the year. An demo of it is available to hear on SoundCloud too. Have a listen and let me know what you think!
As a DJ I'm always looking for new places to perform and new, undiscovered, music to feature in my mixtapes. I have a new mixtape in the works that should be out very soon so make sure to keep an eye out for new releases on my SoundCloud in the next few weeks.
If you want me to perform live just drop me an email and we can get that sorted out! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you!
Checking out my Facebook and twitter accounts is always appreciated too, as well as giving me a follow and like. I use both accounts to advertise new releases and they're the best places to find out about anything new that I'm releasing too.
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Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
Deadmau5 without question. I first heard his collaboration with Kaskade on 'I Remember' and from there found his whole back catalogue that all sounded great to me. 10 years, 3 live shows and countless items of merchandise later and I'm still constantly waiting for new updates on anything else he releases.
In a similar way I'm a superfan of Dillon Francis too. His style is completely different to Deadmau5 but I found his music in a similar way. However it was the personality Dillon shows outside of his music too that really appeals to me. I really look up to how extroverted and engaging with his fans he is. I find his content so funny too!
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What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
My biggest mistake was creating music for the wrong reasons and setting goals that are too ambitious. If you're creating music to make money or become famous then in my eyes thats the wrong reason to want to make music, and it will lead to a lower quality in your end product. Having the investment in music because its what you really want to do and it you enjoy it are so much more important than they initially sound.
Trying to replicate someone else's sound is also a big mistake, as you want to be able to stand out with your own voice in music. By copying someone else you'll just blend into their shadow and new fans won't be able to find you because of it.
Setting goals that are out of reach is tough to avoid. But making sure you're realistic in the goals you set will do wonders for your career. Only a very small few are able to play a festival in their first year of making music for example, and even fewer will have a hit in the same time. There are plenty more artists out there that have been unsuccessful hundreds of times but not giving up and being thankful for the smallest steps forward pay off in the end.
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How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
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Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
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Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
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What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Definitely my issues with mental health and how it has constantly been trying to tell me that I'm a failure and that nothing I produce sounds good. I've been suffering from Anxiety and Depression since I was 18 and its a tough cycle to break out of, especially when theres a lot of pressure and stress in your life. But finding that creative spark again after a particularly bad spell can kick start you back to producing. For me, it was overcoming my fears and going to a music festival for the first time, and on my own as well. Whilst it might not seem that impressive I would never have even considered doing something like that 5 years ago. Seeing so many artists live really inspired me and gave me that creative drive again. It also changed my mentality for making music and I feel now that I can write new music thats much better than my previous work, just because I put more passion into the process and take my time.
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How do you personally discover new music?
Youtube and Spotify playlists on specific genres usually, I'll set it to go and add anything I find that sounds good to me into a special playlist to download later
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Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“I tend to communicate new artists through friends over Facebook Messenger or in person, as then I can have them listen to it right there and then
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What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
Make sure you take your time with things. If you rush a track to completion it shows a lot and people do notice. By taking time to fine tune your production it will impress more listeners and have them even more excited for the next release.
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What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
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We meet again in one year. What has changed?
I would like to be working on a 2nd EP or a full length album. As well as having performed live at more venues and clubs across the UK. Going abroad isn't out of the question either if the opportunity comes up. Most importantly though, I want to still be riding the wave of this creative spark I have right now and be able to reach more and more potential listeners around the world.
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https://soundcloud.com/josh-carr-913505116
http://www.facebook.com/JCJoshCarr/
http://www.twitter.com/dillonismydad
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Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
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