JUJ
To make a long story short, singer/songwriter JUJ is on a roll. A Philadelphia native based in LA, she has two songs coming out over the next month, “Deeper” and “Lonely on Christmas.” But what about her already released music? Well, it’s great. She owns sad pop and ballads, from “Better Sad” and “1-800-HELL-NO” to “I Still Cry at Parties,” respectively. With a powerful, touching voice, and a profound level of honesty embedded in her lyrics, it’s only a matter of time before you know JUJ’s name, if you didn’t already, of course. Just like her music, JUJ is tenacious like no other, dropping out of school at only seventeen to pursue her music career and juggling a handful of jobs and responsibilities in the process. We recently spoke with JUJ about the production process behind some of her songs, how she got her start musically, and more!
How did you get started making music?
I grew up doing theatre because of my love for the stage and then at 17, I dropped out of school, found a nanny job and a roommate online and moved to LA. This wasn't crazy for my family, coming from an immigrant mother who moved to America from Brazil at the age of 18 with little to nothing in pursuit of her dreams for a better life and to become a dancer.
Life in LA is presumably a lot different than in Philadelphia. What has been the biggest difference between the two? Which one do you prefer?
Well,I'm super proud to be from Philly. I take pride in the strength and work ethic of that city. That hustle I definitely took with me when moving to LA. It was also instilled in my immigrant mother, she is a hero to me. I am really grateful for living in LA for all the opportunities it has and it’s brought me. It definitely was a culture shock and adjustment for sure. My favorite song I wrote a year and a half ago, "Deeper," which is finally coming out top of 2021, is about that loneliness of a lot of people, including myself, felt while living in LA. I felt the most lonely when I had the most people around me funny enough. I came to the conclusion I would rather be alone than in bad company. That being said, I have found myself a wonderful community of friends out here that I'd consider family.
In your Spotify bio, you attribute your sound to a mixture of different artists. If you had the ability to collaborate with one of them right now, who would they be and why?
Ooo... definitely Lady Gaga. She is my absolute idol in all aspects. I draw a lot of inspiration from her. I admire her also having that theatre background and her seamless transition from music to film is a crossover I hope to be able to do one day as well. Oak Felder is probably one of my top dream producers to work with.
Describe one experience that led to the creation of a song.
Well, I wrote “Deeper” a year and a half ago when I was the most out of place I’ve ever felt. I was living in LA & I surrounded myself with so many people, (people that were titled as”‘my friends”) when really no one knew me. I was the most alone I’d ever felt. No one would’ve known I was feeling that way because I was surrounded by people 24/7, but none of those people made me feel anything other than alone. I don’t spend much time alone, but the rare time I spent alone I was in better company than the people I was giving my attention to. Nothing felt right at that time. I wasn’t sleeping, I was giving my love and energy to the wrong people and at times, I just blamed it on LA. I’m such a people’s person and I love making human connections but I felt like no one cared to know me any deeper than the surface. I was disillusioned with LA and the transparent relationships around me. I felt like I was faking a lot.
Walk us through your typical songwriting process. Has this changed during the pandemic?
Definitely been different during the pandemic, but I have been thankful because it has made me really spend so much time working on my craft and perfecting it. I don't love the zoom sessions, it has been harder having sessions especially the ones not to a track where we are starting from scratch over zoom.
What can we catch you up to on your day off?
Well, I love to skateboard and be outside with nature. But I also love to read. I sometimes even draw a lot of inspirations for my songwriting through 3rd person experiences of the character of the book I am reading.
You talk about getting inspiration from your mother and her life experiences. Can you talk a little about this and the most important lessons you have learned from her?
Ahhh without even seeing this, I already touched on her in one of the first questions. I am so proud to be my mother's daughter and I take pride in the person I am today because of her. Both of my parents are such hard workers and never had anything ever handed to them. Being a first generation American on my mom's side has really given me a lot of motivation and determination after seeing everything she had to go through. My mom grew up in Brazil with little to nothing and didn't have the best upbringing. She moved to America and was working 6 jobs, one being an au pair which gave her free housing, and at the same time was able to put herself into school in Philadelphia at Temple University. She met my dad when they were working at Chili's, her working as a waitress and he was working there as a bartender at the time. My mom was teaching herself English at the time while being in school. She says she really felt like she mastered the language once she started dreaming in English. It was super cool when I was 11 I believe, seeing my mom study and get her American citizenship, something a lot of us take for granted. She definitely was a motivating factor for my move to LA at such a young age and to pursue this crazy dream of mine.
How important do you value evolving your sound as an artist?
It's HUGE. I truly believe the day you stop learning is the day you stop growing. I constantly want to be evolving and coming more and more into my own.
Describe your music in just three words.
Empowering, unapologetic, soulful.
Lastly, what's next for JUJ?
I am super excited about my Christmas song, "Lonely on Christmas,'' coming out December 3rd. I wrote this on Facetime with one of my favorite co-writers and friends, Sophie Simmons, in May and have been waiting for this one ever since. It is again a 3/4 waltzy song (I love writing these.."I still cry at parties'' & "Deeper" are as well). It is an empowering song coming from an angle you don't typically hear from a Christmas song. I wrote this one about that one person that always comes back around during the holidays, then is inevitably gone by January. But this year I'm not having it. I'm better off on my own, because I can do all the things he was good for during the holidays on my own. Then, expect “Deeper” at the top of 2021! You aren't ready for these next two 3/4 waltz ones. I also miss performing so much so I am praying for better, safer times so I can head back to the stage!
