Tell us about yourself and your music
My name is Jon. I’m an aspiring music producer. For a long time I wanted to be a rapper but I didn’t have enough intelligent things to say and I would forget the words when I’d perform. I couldn’t take that leap of faith to really go after it although I wrote a lot of rhymes through the years and was always recording with friends and performing. In the 2000s I got into pop music like Christina Aguilera, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and of course Taylor Swift. In most recent years, I’ve taken lessons in voice, piano, audio, and collaborating with teachers on original music. So, I’m singing now and I play the piano but I still have a ways to go. My sound is a combination of the kind of music I Iisten to. It’s hip hop, pop, soul, and even influenced by drum n’ bass at times. I want people to get a kick out of my music and my sense of humor. I want it to be like the Simpsons or Mike Myers having their own brand of comedy but the product for me is music. I love laughing and a lot of my lyrics have punchlines. I come from a family that has music in the genes. My mom is a music teacher, my older sister is a cantor, and my nieces and nephew play instruments as well. I was always very rebellious growing up but there is no denying that music is in my DNA.
Talk to us more about your latest release
I’m releasing an EP called “Normal Crazy” soon. I feel like the world right now is normal crazy. What’s normal now is crazy. I was referring to myself though when I came up with the idea. Like I was pretty out there for awhile and was crazy crazy completely lost in life lacking real direction. Now I’m just a normal kind of crazy. The songs usually took about 6 months to complete. All of these songs I am singing and playing the piano. It’s hard to really put a finger on what the genre is cause it’s a combination of several genres. But, the umbrella genre I would say is hip hop but more so from the golden age like 80s and 90s. You can hear today’s pop music influence in the music as well. My goal is to just make people laugh, entertain people, and have them just bug out and groove to the music. I haven’t quite set the launch date yet but soon. It will have 5 songs on it probably with a few voice memos as well. I’m publishing it on my Bandcamp page which is jonnyloverman.bandcamp.com. I collaborated with 2 teachers on my record in which I took weekly lessons. I have a basic home studio that I would work on, however 3 out of the 5 songs I did were completely done in one of my teacher’s studio. I would come up with the concepts, lyrics, and melody and we’d collaborate and the 2 teachers would help me put the songs together. I had help with the audio engineering aspects of it as well.
https://jonnyloverman.bandcamp.com
What inspired you to write this release?
This album is many years in the making. I came up with the concept of the album not too long ago. I’m just doing just what feels natural to me. Releasing music to the world is something I’ve never done before. All of the music I write is inspired by what is going on in my life, thoughts I have, and things I’m struggling with.
Describe the writing and recording process
Usually I come up with an idea for a song and put lyrics and melody to it. With this album, I would have a basic framework mapped out and collaborate with teachers. I would have a lesson where we would come up with chords, pick the key, put a beat together, and set the tempo. After the lesson, I’d spend that week tweaking the song and coming up with ideas and parts. I’d have my own ideas for the direction I would want the song to go in. The sounds used on these songs were usually on me. All of these songs were recorded in Pro Tools. Some of the lessons were straight up recording sessions where I would spend several weeks just recording vocals alone. Each song took about 6 months to do cause you can only get so much done in an hour. It was definitely a joint effort and I’m proud of the end product.
Any plans to hit the road?
As of right now, the world basically has been on lockdown cause of the coronavirus. I’d love to perform on stage in the future. As of right now, the music I’ve recorded is strictly going to be an online release.
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
I am actually an aspiring music producer. I’d like to do a little bit of everything: piano, singing, rapping, audio. I want people to get a kick out of my lyrics and my sound. I would like my own brand of music like the Simpsons has their own brand of comedy.
Who have you been listening to lately?
I watched the Beastie Boys movie and it was good. I love the Wreckers album with Michelle Branch. I love her. I’m always listening to Taylor Swift. Also, as far as hip hop, I started listening to Kool G. Rap from the early 90s. He has a song called “Train Robbery” where it’s a story about him and his crew robbing a train. I could see how people can be confused by this world cause that’s entertainment where it’s perfectly fine. You can say all kinds of things in entertainment and it’s ok, but in real life you would have serious problems. It’s a crazy world.
Who are your biggest influences?
De La Soul, 3rd Bass, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, Michelle Branch. I’m a lyrics guy. I really listen to the lyrics closely. I love lyrics that make you think. De La Soul and 3rd Bass definately do that. I grew up listening to their albums over and over and over. Avril Lavigne has lyrics that are simple yet very effective. I’m just a superfan of Taylor Swift. There was a period not too long ago that I just listened to her strictly every time I went in my car. Michelle Branch’s music is just soo catchy and I love her.
Tell us about your passions
I’m passionate about music and comedy. I love to laugh. I also love watching sports as well.
What else is happening next in your world?
I’ll be releasing my EP soon so I’m getting all of that together. I hope I get into a real relationship with a girl asap. I’ve been on dating apps and have been chatting, but some of the girls who respond are professionals. You gotta watch out for that.
Thanks for an awesome interview, Jonathan Lieberman
Connect with Jonathan Lieberman
Website: http://www.JALmusic.comFacebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Jonnyisfunny
