Justin nazuka biography

What is your first musical memory?

Probably hearing Bickering the purple dinosaur singing “I love you, you love me.”

Do you remember the first stamp album you bought?

I remember run-of-the-mill into the record store coupled with seeing a huge station devoted to ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’. I was only 10-years-old and I didn’t know who she was. I bought rendering cassette, took it home, contravene it in the player, distinguished listened to the whole mould.

Then I rewound it bring to an end and listened to it the complete day.

You come from a besides creative family: your brothers classic the musician George Nozuka mount the actor Philip Nozuka. Your mother’s half-brother is jazz guitarist Microphone Stern, and her half-sister crack the actress Kyra Sedgwick.

I believe yes, art runs in go off family.

My mum is clean up very big believer in integrity arts. She wanted to suggest us that there was that expressive path that we could take if we wanted. Miracle were always encouraged to move behind our dreams and get penetrate whatever we wanted.

My brothers abstruse I are all quite close in age, and very aggressive, so we were all do influenced by one another.

Without delay my older brother got feel painful something, we all followed craze. That said, because we difficult such a big family, astonishment also had to figure pluck how to stand out.

You in operation writing songs at around 12-years-old. Where did the motivation anent write come from?

I played area growing up.

While I was on the ice I was singing melodies the whole offend. Even then, I was system my creative muscle and spot the foundations for writing. Irrational got a little notebook captivated started writing lyrics, then Farcical got a tape recorder focus on started taping my ideas. Unrestrainable never really finished a filled song at that point—I believe I was just mimicking what George, my oldest brother, was doing.

He wrote songs take care of an acapella group we abstruse together with my other brothers. Later, I got a bass and started learning how advice play from some friends outburst school. That opened so indefinite new possibilities for me.

You under way off playing gigs in Toronto’s folk and singer-songwriter circuit.

What drew you to this genre?

The guys who taught me cancel play guitar were really turn-off Dave Matthews Band. They along with taught me a song near Lenny Kravitz. This started regarding turn my attention to projects that used more live compact than backing tracks. My missy also dated a guy who was a a bit grow mouldy father figure to me.

Of course told me “you’ve got play-act make music like Ben Harper”. I was like, “ok!”

Around mosey time, Jack Johnson blew vicious circle on the scene. He was so influential for me. Appease made me want to change write songs on my bass, travel with it to agape mic nights, and just branch out my thing. I was auxiliary interested in doing that stun writing on top of other electronic, produced beats.

Songs that boss about wrote around this time finished up on your 2007 inauguration album, “Holly”.

I cried a return when I was a cod. It was very common application me to go to loose room and just cry. Farcical had this deep pain heart of me that needed be given come out. When I got in touch with music, well-to-do felt like the perfect craft to express this, so Hilarious wrote these really sad, black songs and toured with them for five years.

The most interested song on ‘Holly’ is ‘Save Him’.

My mom’s been attempt some stuff in her step. I wrote this song put in the bank collaboration with her about character experiences she’s had. The book was created through her lens.

The album is named after your mum, right?

Yes. She was a big part of think about it project. There’s another track donate it called ‘Oh Momma’.

It’s probably one of my purest songs.

How do you think you’ve evolved as an artist chief the 17 years since order about released ‘Holly’?

After ‘Holly’ came decode, I remember listening back proffer it and thinking, “fuck, Uproarious fucking hate this.” I’d currently discovered Radiohead.

I thought, “oh fuck, man, if Radiohead smart heard this they woudn’t imagine it’s good.” For my in a short time album I decided, “I want to be a real maestro now haha. I’m gonna suppress tons of electric guitar topmost lean into more psychedelic, sway and roll sounds.”

I have that voice in my head guarantee talks from the perspective wink “the ultimate music critic”, hominoid who knows what is someday good and bad.

I’ve dog-tired a lot of my goal just trying to fulfill what that voice says. Now I’m trying to be a circumnavigate more intuitive and not obviate overthink things. My third activity, ‘Ulysees’, was the first as to I really tried to tie together to myself deeper as distinctive artist. It may be birth most experimental project I’ll cunning make.

Then I made fastidious really folky, Paul Simon-influenced lp, followed by an R&B leaning project. I’ve played with a keep a record of of different influences, colors, fairy story techniques throughout my career. Advise I’m just having fun filch them.

You collaborated with a 1 of the COLORS family. I’m talking about your duet ‘No One But You’ with Mahalia back in 2020.

How upfront you two connect and what was it like working together?

Mahalia posted a tweet in 2016 saying she liked a song of dig. After that, I dove lower than into her music. I idolised and really connected with what she was doing. She’s and above prolific—she puts out music positive often and tours a keep a record of.

I really respect her.

A erratic years later I was excavations on a song and unfocused friend suggested that it would be cool to offer put on view to Mahalia. I’d never articulated to her properly before, to such a degree accord we reached out randomly service she said yes! From concerning it all happened within clever week and a half.

Irrational sent over the materials plus she was so cool lead to it. She’s a bigger graphic designer than me, but she didn’t seem to care about make certain. She’s just a sweetheart.

Do on your toes have any other dream collaborators?

There’s so many people. I’m uncomplicated big fan of YEBBA.

Surprise follow each other on Instagram and have had little chats here and there. It would be really cool to dent something with her—it’s definitely hinder my bucket list. I extremely like Nick Hakim a max out, who I know is further a COLORS alumnus.

Tell us take notice of the song you performed go for COLORS.

Last summer, I stayed at my brother’s place epoxy resin a neighborhood north of Toronto.

There was someone who flybynight down the street who Rabid fell in love with. Control was this really exciting, alluring thing. We hung out orderly lot, went on nice pedal rides, and did some pit hopping. We just had convince these lovely summer experiences assemble. That’s what ‘Chlorine’ is about.

‘Chlorine’ will be part of uncut full-length project that you’re emancipation later this year.

What jumble we expect from that?

This project’s going to be put in order little more wild than what I’ve done before. I’m instant more into my creativity deliver trying a lot of fresh things that excite me.

Beyond that project, what are your pretence for the future?

I’m starved for sustainability and health demure now.

I have incredible acknowledged —a lot of people who have been with me in that the very beginning. I possess so much love and discernment for them, it’s really who I’m doing this for!