J. Human
Nashville native singer/songwriter/producer J. Human released his latest single “Give It 2 You” on January 22nd.
The soulful single is about finding someone who loves us for who we are. With the help of Spencer Hendricks and Tre Wright - who also appears on the record - 'Give It 2 You' is a feel good record inspired by the Motown sound.
“Whenever you do find someone that just loves you for you, it’s a super special thing. They’re with you during all of the lean years when you’re broke as hell,” says J. Human.
With an EP on the way, the LA-based artist combines modern sounds with old school elements to create his musical identity.
J. Human is also a strong advocate for mental health and humanity.
“Give It 2 You” (Ft. Tre Wright) is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: NOLIE
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Well hello! My name is J. Human, I’m a Nashville native currently residing in Los Angeles, California, and I’m just happy to be here. :) I grew up in Nashville, coming up around musicians and musicians’ kids, and I have a bachelor’s degree in music, specializing in composition. I’ve always wanted to go skydiving, I don’t have any siblings, and I’ve worn glasses since the first grade. :)
How would you define J. Human, the artist?
I struggle with that every day, haha. I would say J. Human is all about leaning into our collective humanity. Not trying to get too heady with it, but my last name is actually a different spelling of “Human,” and I’d be dumb to not use that. It’s a very happy accident. I’m very passionate about the things that connect all of us, and in a world where it seems like everyone is focused on what separates us, simply remembering that we’re humans underneath it all is a radical and vital concept. My lil skull guy is an example of that. The skull is a reminder that underneath everything—skin tone, belief system, birthplace, social status, etc.—we all look the same. We all die. And the sooner we can grasp that as a species, the better off we are. We’re gentler with each other when we can see ourselves in the people around us. And with the world the way it is right now, I think that’s one of the most important lessons we can learn.
'Give It 2 You' is your new single. What's the inspiration behind this song?
Being broke. haha. The first idea I had was the line “baby I ain’t got much, but what I do got, I’ll give it to you.” It’s all about being with someone that’s got your back no matter what. They’re with you during all of the lean years when you’re broke as hell, feeling like you have nothing to offer to a relationship at all. I’ve struggled with that a lot, being an independent artist and working hard to bring this stuff to life, and I usually feel like I don’t have anything meaningful to bring to a relationship or to offer a significant other. So, that being the case, whenever you do find someone that just loves you for you, it’s a super special thing. It’s a shoutout to the real ones. And I reaaaaaaaally wanted a classic motowny chorus in a song, and this was the perfect way to do it.
Could you describe us the songwriting/production process? When did you start working on it?
Tre Wright, Spencer Hendricks, and I wrote the tune in Nashville summer of 2018, our friends Purple Beat set up the session as they were moving offices, so the three of us posted up in a room full of cardboard boxes and made it happen. haha. We fleshed out the vocals and a lot of production in the room that day. Tre and Spencer lived in Los Angeles and I was still in Nashville at the time, so we shot ideas back and forth and finished the rest of the track over email, and then once I moved out west we went back and did a little polishing before the release. I re-recorded guitar and fixed some vocals, and we had my guy Jonny Ave lay down real bass on the track (you gotta have real bass on a vibe like this), and the rest is history!
What made you want to collaborate with Tre Wright on this record?
It was a pretty fortuitous thing actually, I didn’t know that Tre rapped until we were already working on the song, and once I heard his verse, I knew that was what I wanted the feature to be. He nailed the message, and his flow fit the vibe perfectly.
What do you like the most about this song?
I LOVE that dang chorus. Thing opens up like a ray of Marvin Gaye sunshine right at the top and doesn’t let go. And, because he’s a genius, Tre and I went back and forth on how to elevate the last chorus and hook, couldn’t quite get it right, and then Tre put a low pass filter on the chorus melody and that buried that underneath the la la la’s in the last hook, and it fit PERFECT. Y’all gotta go back and listen for that part. It’s the best part by far.
As an artist, what's the hardest part? And what is the best part?
As an independent artist, the hardest part is trying to make your vision fit your budget. You’ve always got these grandiose ideas, and you have to find a way to make those fit your less- than-grandiose financials... or at least until you’ve got someone willing to bankroll them for ya. That being said, if you don’t have the money yourself, some of the best parts revolve around realizing as much of your initial vision as possible for as little money as possible. Necessity is the mother of invention. I find I make more interesting and compelling things when I’m forced to work within limitations. The other best part for me is the live shows. That’s really the best part of all of this, getting to create a live show and see everyone face to face, sharing that energy. That’s like, the best best part.
You moved to Los Angeles last year. What were the biggest challenges when you first got there?
Oh, I’m still very much in the midst. I’ve been here for almost 6 months, so it’s still pretty fresh. Of course there’s a few more hoops in California to jump through with your driver’s license and registration and all that, and I was subletting for the first month and a half and didn’t have a permanent address, which makes things a little complicated. I’m lucky that I’ve spent 4 years coming back and forth from Nashville and have a little squad of people out here already, but even then, when I first got here everyone was used to me leaving again. So I had to be persistent in reminding them that I was still here. haha.
How do you like living in LA now?
Still love it! I’ve got nature everywhere around me, the beach is 45 minutes away, the mountains 30 minutes away, amazing views everywhere you look, and just about as much opportunity. I’ve got a Prius for the traffic, and the sunshine is finally out and helping my mental health SOOO much.
You are a strong advocate for mental health. What message would you give to anyone suffering from mental illnesses?
Treat yourself like a plant. Drink lots of water and get plenty of sunshine. Also be outside. In all seriousness, get help. Talk to people. Far more people around you are struggling than you even realize, and you sharing your struggles may help them even more than it helps you. Find a therapist. I know that can be expensive, especially if you don’t have health insurance, but you can usually find therapists or advocacy groups that work with people in tight financial situations. Don’t let that get in the way of trying to find help. And also take care of yourself. Give yourself grace and space to have dips, lean into the people around you, and remember, it’s scariest and hardest right before you have a breakthrough. Resistance wants to keep you complacent and isolated, so if you’re feeling that push back, you’re headed the right way. Keep going. <3
How do you go through anxiety?
Oof. Truthfully, depression’s been more my struggle than anxiety itself, but sometimes anxiety will accompany it for sure. Breath work is something I’ve been trying to implement more, practicing meditation, and spending more time doing things for myself just because I want to do them are all ways I try to deal. The breath work really helps if I feel like I’m starting to spiral, focusing on the breath and thinking “in.....out...” with your inhale/exhale. Spending time doing things for myself is the more aggressive preventative measure. I think if you really want to work to get your mind in good shape, you need to take active measures, not just coping mechanisms. Taking that time for yourself sends a physical, full body reminder that you are in charge of your life, not your anxieties. All that said, be gentle with yourself always.
As a human being, what do you want to accomplish?
There are a lot of big ideas and goals I used to want to accomplish for myself, but over the last couple of years and especially this past year, those aspirations have turned into more of the icing than the actual cake. I’m far more interested in experiencing as much of this life as I can and having that be the main focus, and the professional and creative pursuits are the things that I do along the way. I definitely want to be successful and I want to take my artist career as far as I can, but for my own mental health, I’m far more concerned with not losing moments of my life to discontent and depression because I’m not living up to some imagined and non- existent standard. I realized recently that all the cliches are the truest parts of life. We’ve only got so much time and what time we do have is pretty short, so as cliche as it sounds, the primary thing I want to accomplish is a well-lived life.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
The world realizing that we’re all the sharing the same space, on a very small rock, in the middle of a very large space. I honestly think aliens making themselves known would be super useful right about now. Nothing unites like a little perspective, and giving humanity an entirely different civilization would probably do wonders for our collective perspective. I’m only 5% kidding. So, in short, aliens announcing their existence to the planet like The Avengers come to life would make the world a better place.
Any upcoming projects?
Ohhhhhh yes. It’s finally time for an EP. I don’t have a date yet, but I’m putting the track list together and finishing up songs, and I’m super excited to finish it. I’m also working on a very exciting duet, and some videos for the singles that are already out... There’s a lot of stuff cooking, and I’m really enjoying putting it all together.
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