Interview: Alternative Rock Artist Justin Nech Discusses His Passion for Music, His Upcoming Single ‘American Psycho, and Future Plans
By. Alicia Zamora
A Conversation with Justin Nech
Alicia’s Studio Gets on Zoom with Artist Justin Nech to Talk about What Sparked His Love for Music, His Upcoming Release, and Future Plans
Alicia: Alright we can go ahead and get started!
Justin Nech: Hi my name is Justin Nech. I’m an alternative-rock artist from New York City, well based in New York City actually. I’m from Shanghai but yeah I’m releasing a new song called ‘American Psycho’ that’s part of a bigger album and I’m really excited to share it with everybody!
Alicia: Okay and diving into the first question.
Alicia: When you chose to go down the music path were your parents supportive?
Justin Nech: Ummm.. they always supported me in doing music. I started playing piano when I was four so since then.. Since I was very very young they were always very supportive of me doing music.
Justin Nech: I think there was definitely a little bit of trouble in high school because I was focusing way more of my time on music then I was in academics. That was definitely something we had to battle through and it was just a lot of you know conversations about that and stuff like that. It was definitely tough to have it become my career I guess.. Overall, music-wise they have always been very supportive of me doing musical things.
Alicia: okay! and then genre-wise for your music. What would you say you're aiming for?
Justin Nech: Alternative-Rock so it’s definitely a little bit more.. It’s still rock but it’s a little bit experimental in some ways.
Alicia: Oo okay cool! With the rise of your music career what would you say has been your greatest accomplishment so far?
Justin Nech: Umm… my greatest accomplishment so far.. Well, I would say so far I guess because there's a lot to come.
Justin Nech: Right now.. I was looking through my text messages with my manager and it was like “Congrats on 10K followers”
Alicia: Oh Congrats! That's a big thing!!
Justin Nech: That was last Friday oh no that was Sunday sorry. Now it’s Wednesday or something
Alicia: Yeah it's Wednesday
Justin Nech: So I gained like .. I’m at 50 right now. 50,000 followers
Alicia: 50 thousand???
Justin Nech: Yeah
Alicia: Oh woah !!
Justin Nech: I gained like 40,000 followers in less than a week
Alicia: That's big! congrats .. holy.. Wow
Justin Nech: it’s kind of crazy
Alicia: That is! It’s insane
Justin Nech: Yeah cause I look at the followers as more like a milestone rather than like “Oh I have so much clout or whatever” but I think it’s more than just that and then yeah I think that’s a pretty great accomplishment within that short amount of time. Less than a week.
Justin Nech: I was able to get 50,000 people
Alicia: Yeah that’s great! Congrats
Justin Nech: Thank you!
Alicia: and then going into your new single American Psycho that's releasing on April 10th how do you feel about it?
Justin Nech: I’m really really excited to share it! I love that song.. It’s my baby
Justin Nech: umm I’m excited to put it out so people can finally enjoy it and I can start teasing the next one
Alicia: what would you say was the hardest thing when producing and creating this new single?
Justin Nech: Honestly it was really quick but I think when I first made it I did it on my computer at home and umm I kind of just you know did it on my own and sent it to my manager. He was like “This is not good.. I don’t like it”. I was kind of bummed so I was like okay.
Justin Nech: I said that’s fine but I told him I loved it so I was like okay I’m still bringing it to my producer and will finish it. But I told him I appreciated the honesty and stuff. So yeah, it was like a funny moment because now I talk to him and I’m like “Look at that.. Everyone loves the song”
Alicia: no yeah
Justin Nech: he was the first person I showed it to and he was like “I don’t really like it” and I just thought it was really funny now that I look back at it. But obviously, after I went to the studio and got it produced and stuff.. It definitely is a lot better!
Justin Nech: When I listened to the original recording of it in my house it was pretty bad but I’m glad I kept going with it.
Alicia: okay and what first got you into making music and singing?
Justin Nech: I think for me it’s really just an expression of myself and also it allowed me to have a voice when I felt like I didn’t. It was also comforting to me.
Justin Nech: I originally started out writing like really sad love songs in high school so that’s kind of how I started but yeah in those times it was more about you know putting my feelings into art and kind of releasing some of that and sharing it with other people so that they can feel or relate to it. But eventually, it evolved into what it is now.
Justin Nech: For me, it’s really just something that.. Well just a form of expression for myself and something I just really really really love to do and I make other people happy through it and that’s all that matters!
Alicia: So, did you know that becoming an artist was something you always wanted to do?
Justin Nech: I knew since I was fourteen.
Alicia: oh okay!
Justin Nech: prior to that I didn’t know
Alicia: When it comes down to musical inspirations do you have any group or artist that you get inspiration from?
Justin Nech: Yeah so I really like The Strokes and The Smiths and I think in the future songs you’ll really be able to hear some elements of Amy Winehouse and I think my music ended up having Dominic Fike vibes I guess.
Alicia: it does !!
Justin Nech: yeah so that’s cool. I love Dom! It’s a great compliment to get
Alicia: After this single releases can we expect any more music to come out?
Justin Nech: Yeah so right after ‘American Psycho’ drops, I’m going to start showing everyone the next song.
Justin Nech: it’s called ‘Wedding Day’
Alicia: ‘Wedding Day’ ooo okay! Excited to hear that
Alicia: What other projects do you have coming out maybe an album or an EP?
Justin Nech: Yeah so, ‘American Psycho’ is the first song of an album or EP. I haven’t decided on which one it is but it’s going to be part of a bigger project.
Alicia: Oo okay!
Alicia: Collaboration-wise if you could collaborate with one artist or group who would it be?
Justin Nech: I would love to collaborate with.. Honestly, my rule is anyone that I listen to and I enjoy I would collaborate with them. I think like ooo. I guess in my scope would obviously be Dominic Fike, Beabadoobee, Laufey, and Bakar. Kind of the same artists that are in my genre circle. Even people like SZA would be so cool.
Alicia: okay cool
Alicia: Going into the writing process how long does it usually take you to write a song?
Justin Nech: So, it depends on the song. My favorite songs personally are the ones that I can write really quickly. I think ‘American Psycho’ is like that.
Justin Nech: ‘American Psycho’ The entire song took about five hours to make. Front to back. So basically two hours on my own and three hours in the studio. But yeah I just sat down and I had nothing. All I had was American Psycho in my head. Just that phrase and then I started making the music and just writing as I went along with it. It was just super quick. Everything I have down now was done in one take, it was super quick and that’s my favorite.. When it just flows.
Alicia: With the interview coming to an end Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you see yourself doing any possible showcases soon?
Justin Nech: So, I’m going to be doing a free show I think like two weeks after ‘American Psycho’ drops so late April, and then after that, I want to do one big performance-style show in New York and one in LA over the summer.
Justin Nech: once I get one more song after ‘American Psycho’ so two more songs after ‘American Psycho’. When I have three songs in this album out I will start doing a little bit of a tour. Maybe a college tour or maybe just an East Coast tour and just hit as many spots as I can.
Alicia: I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity for me to interview you
Justin Nech: No thank you!
