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VENTS Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter John Philbrick about his recently release “Losing Out To Crazy” music video. The interview can be read below!
How do you have so many well-known connections?
Making new connections and meeting new people is a gradual process. I moved to LA almost seven years ago and started doing live gigs which led to meeting new musicians and meeting the people that they know. Eventually that led to meeting the people who were involved in making my new record. If you put yourself out there, you are bound to meet some very talented individuals no matter what city you live in.
What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
Some of the best advice I have been given is to always be true to your soul when playing music. That transcends genre and stylistic preferences and makes you the unique person that you are.
How do you deal with a creative block?
Creative blocks can be tough. Sometimes the solution could be to back away and take a little break or it could be something you have to grind out of and push through. Some of the days when I have felt the least creative end up being days when I write a good riff because I pushed through the doubts running through my head. Something else that has worked for me is approaching writing a song in a completely different way than you usually do. Being a guitarist, your inclination is to pick up your guitar obviously but I have started the day on a percussion instrument or a synth and will have a more fresh approach. That can be the spark you need to begin something new.
Who inspires you and why?
People that inspire me are musicians who are very open and vulnerable and are confident with themselves. Vulnerability through music is where the best stuff comes from but there can be all kinds of things that inhibit that. It reminds me that I should not be afraid or uncomfortable doing that.
What was the hardest thing about making “Losing Out To Crazy”?
The hardest thing about writing that song was probably the arrangement. I remember the intro riff being the original idea and everything stemming from that, but it was tough getting the structure right. Steve, Justin, Dusty and I worked it out in the live room because sometimes writing on the spot like that can help with the natural flow of a song.
How did your music career begin?
My career began when I moved to LA about seven years ago. Before that I had studied music at Berklee in Boston and had enough with schooling. It began with doing small time gigging around LA and slowly accumulated a group of friends. Eventually, I met some producers and began writing and working in the studio.
How would you describe your style of music?
That’s a tough question! I love lots of different styles of music and I think it is a mix of a lot of things. The influences I have from an early age are the ones that really stick which would be blues/rock and hard rock. Later on, some jazz, RnB, and classical trickled in there just a little bit!
What do you hope people take away from your music?
I hope that when people listen to my music it is able to bring up raw emotion for them wherever it might come from or whatever it might be. Even if it’s just one song or one riff I hope I can give someone that goosebump feeling and a sense of relatability and connection.
Follow John Philbrick:
https://www.youtube.com/@JohnPhilbrickMusic
https://www.instagram.com/johnphilbrickmusic/
