“It’s always around us:  the sun is always shining everyday, the clouds are always moving, the wind is always blowing, people are always walking and there’s animals all around.  So, it’s always around—that emotion—that realization is always happening.”

iminpeace.com was very fortunate to chat with Justin this past week.  He speaks very openly about many things, such as his feelings on being #1 on Billboard, appearing on Letterman and even his reaction to India.Arie’s tweet!  He also talks about his approach with the new album, his connection to music and Mother Earth, and his “wow” moments of realization.  Most importantly, at the end of the interview he answers questions from YOU, the fans!

Thanks again to Justin, the beautiful folks @ Coalition and Warner Music, and to all you lovely fans who submitted questions.  I tried to capture the essence of the majority of them in our main interview, and then asked a few specific ones afterward.

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Note: I recommend using the transcript to follow along as the audio captured fades in and out at times since Justin was on a cell phone :(

I would love to hear feedback, so be sure to comment and let me know your thoughts on this interview!

Interview Transcript

iminpeace.com: Hello to everyone on iminpeace.com!  I’m joined by a very special guest today, the man himself, Mr. Justin Nozuka!  Hello Justin!  How are you doing?

Justin: I’m well, how are you?

IIP: I’m fine, thank you.  So I guess I want to say congratulations on being #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart!

J: Thank you.

“Mark was on Facebook and someone said “Heeey, India.Arie just twittered about you!” and wow, we screamed—we both screamed—it was so true.”

IIP: It’s been a big week for you— you were on Letterman, and I think even India.Arie tweeted about you.  What was that like for you?

J: Isn’t that great?  Wow, you know I was really nervous about Letterman, and I watched it that night and I got really—I was really down on myself kind of.  I just—I was going through… I don’t know, and then in the morning I woke up and watched it again on YouTube.  And then, Mark was on Facebook and someone said “Heeey, India.Arie just twittered about you!” and wow, we screamed—we both screamed—it was so true.

IIP: I can imagine because you referenced her before and called your album “acoustic soul”.

J: Yeah, India.Arie, I used to listen to her when I was younger.

IIP: That’s amazing.  Is it a lot to take in at this point, like after this one week of crazy promo?

J: Yeah, I think so—it is a lot to process.

IIP: So do you pay attention to commercial success in that way?

J: Yeah, I know it’s there, and I definitely pay attention to it, but you know, I don’t—none of it’s really … not for me… that’s typically how I’ve made it, you know? If I get commercial success… that’s pretty much all I have to say about it.

“I’m absolutely still making music that I want to make, but you know, just really focusing on connecting deeper to music and that’s my main focus without a doubt, you know?”

IIP: So when you first came out with Holly, I believe you said your approach with that album was that you kind of just wanted people to discover it for themselves, and you didn’t kind of want to shove it down people’s throats.  So I’m wondering, is that the same approach with this new album, or is it different?

J: Yeah, you know, at this point, I’m absolutely still making music that I want to make, but you know, just really focusing on connecting deeper to music and that’s my main focus without a doubt, you know?  But at the same time, you know, I want to reach as many people as possible.  So there’s definitely a balance being played, you know?

For instance, in France, we got a lot of radio support there, and the way the radio station did it was they really did actually shove it down people’s throats [laughs], you know?  That’s the way they do it – they play it all the time, it’s in your face all the time.  Well, they’re not shoving it down people’s throats, but they are putting it in their face all the time, you know?  Well, I guess that’s the way the mainstream works, you know?  But if that’s going to be the case, and give us the opportunity to get in front of more people, then that’s great!  I’m all for it.  But I don’t want to push too hard about that.  I don’t want to cater towards that kind of path.

“We’re being able to have these opportunities to get the music out there further but I don’t want to change my sound, I don’t want to change who I am, I don’t want to cater to these ways.”

IIP: You don’t want to be over saturated like in terms of the media… you don’t want to be all over the media?  Is that what it is?

J: At this point, I’m kind of playing whatever comes to me at this point.  You know, we’re pretty much doing everything, and I don’t mind that at this point.  You know, because it’s great – we’re being able to have these opportunities to get the music out there further but I don’t want to change my sound, I don’t want to change who I am, I don’t want to cater to these ways.  But of course, there’s a balance in all of this, you know?

IIP: Yeah, in life in general – you’re right.

J: Yeah.

IIP: I think personally that this album is a total work of art from the songs to the cover art even – it’s beautiful.

J: Thanks.

IIP: No problem.

IIP: You’ve always talked about music as an artform, and keeping it separate from the business.  So, you were mentioning balance earlier, how do you kind of balance that and keep that line [drawn]?

J: Well, at this point, I guess there’s a conscious decision of—you know, for this album, for instance—you know, because of the situation that we’re in, and yes, the world is the way that it is, you know… and I guess my main mission is to get to as many people as possible, but you know, I’ve always imagined myself making music that is even more…. free, more open, in the future, and at this point, yeah there’s, you know, a few songs that were, in some ways, playing that balance between, you know, what the world is, how it is now, how the music is, how the industry is the way it is now, and also, me doing my thing – creating music that I want to create, you know?

But there’s definitely a conscious decision there for this album, you know?  It’s also for the greater good, you know?

IIP: Yes, exactly.  You still kind of got to be a businessman in a way though to know what you want and get what you want.

J: Yeah, exactly.  There’s a way to ride the wave, you know?

“This is my journey, this is my objective, I guess, or my goal is to really fine tune – not fine tune but experience love on deeper levels and strengthen it.”

IIP: Yeah, exactly.  Now, in terms of the actual content on the album, I found listening to it that the central theme is love… and not just significant other/relationship type love, but love for your fellow human being, love for nature, harmony, especially like in “You I Wind Land and Sea”.  So what was the message that you wanted to get across with this album to your listeners?

J: I don’t know if there was a real [message] – I think more for myself, my experiences with life is that, you know, I’ve gone through all types of different emotions and had different perspectives of frustration or being ignored, you know, you’re having a negative feeling… so, you know having the experiences of pure joy and love, you know?  And so, music is a way of expression for myself, and these are the things that I’m going through as an individual, you know?  But I know that love feels much better than frustration or anger or negativity.  So yeah, this is my journey, this is my objective, I guess, or my goal is to really fine tune – not fine tune but experience love on deeper levels and strengthen it, you know?  And then through my music, express whatever that is that comes out through that specific experience or perspective.  But I really—yeah yeah, that’s good—that’s the way it is. [laughs]

IIP: I remember that you originally wanted to entitle the album “Gray”, and why the change then to “You I Wind Land and Sea”?

J: Well, “Gray” was a personal—I used “Gray” as a way to describe balance and peace, you know, between negative and positive.  Yeah, you know it was kind of this idea that I had in my mind that it didn’t quite capture really what I wanted it to capture, I guess, with the album or what the album really meant, you know?  Yeah, and also, “Gray” is kind of—it’s kind of a dull colour.

IIP: Yeah, and you kind of want to catch people’s attention with your title name too, right?

J: Yeah, exactly.

IIP: I totally agree with that.  Well, so it’s a good decision then—good business decision, Justin. [laughs]

J: I think it was a good decision and I’m really happy with it—I think “You I Wind Land and Sea” really represents the ideals that I have.

IIP: Yeah, it’s the line in the song right?  “Harmony is what we need …”

J: Yeah, the connection…between us all.

IIP: So I’m not sure how thoroughly everyone has listened to the album, but I did notice that at the very end of the last track “How Low”, that there’s the ring of a bell.  So I was wondering if there’s any significance to that sound?

J: Yeah, that’s a peace bell that plays at the end. It represents, I guess, peace vibrations, you know… and…you know…the light in all situations.  “How Low” is a song of—it comes from a pretty dark place in myself… you know, it’s a crying song…and you know, I guess it’s reminder for myself as well, you know, no matter how dark things get, or how hopeless or helpless I feel, that there’s always light—light is always here, you know?  Always present.

“Moments of stillness when I see closer to what the situation actually is and those moments have—you know—are filled with a lot of emotions.”

IIP: I’m going to try to jump to some fan questions that we’ve received.  Crystal W. from Cleveland, Ohio asked:  Can you describe to us your proudest moment?

J: Proudest moment?  Huh, I don’t know this has all been—it’s all been—I don’t know if there has been a real moment ‘cause everything’s been happening pretty often, you know?  This entire situation is present all the time at this point, you know?

IIP: Nothing stands out right now?

J: No, but there’s moments of realizing what’s happening, you know?  Moments of stillness when I see closer to what the situation actually is and those moments have—you know—are filled with a lot of emotions.  Yeah and they’re all usually pretty positive, but then sometimes I get kind of nervous about the situation.  But, I would say that there’s moments when we’re playing on stage and there’s just a large crowd and there’s just a moment, you know?  Or we’re playing music that just locks, you know?  There’s a moment that happens in a specific state, you know and I can see things clearer, and in those moments, I have—I’m overwhelmed by excitement… and I don’t know how to explain it.  I’m really just kind of blown away by the situation altogether.

IIP: Alright, so you just said “overwhelmed”, so that kind of leads into our next question:  When you get overwhelmed, how do you release your negative energies effectively, and find your spiritual ground?   That’s from Christina B.

J: Umm, you know I guess the most important thing is to stop thinking—’cause usually when I’m overwhelmed, I’m thinking a lot… and I’m usually dwelling on the past—thinking about things that happened in the past, and I’m usually nervous about the future, you know?  So, if I can get rid of those thoughts altogether and just find my calm, and feel my body, feel my energy…

IIP: Just stay in the present?

J: Yeah, exactly.  Usually, I find peace through that, but it takes some time sometimes because sometimes I believe what I’m thinking is so important and so real—

IIP: Yeah I think we all do.

J: Yeah, so once I find my ground, and I find much space and peace, I realized that really it isn’t that important.  I shouldn’t be thinking about it and dwelling on it so hard, and it’s actually doing me the opposite of what I want, you know?

“You know, nobody really wants to be the film-er.”

IIP: Yeah.  Ok so, another question from the fans:  Anaïs in Nancy, France.  She asked:  Why doesn’t the band make more videos of their tour as they did before and put them online?

J: We’ve just started to tour again.  We kind of took a long break.  And you know, this is all a new experience for us as well—each moment of it’s new.  So, we’re just learning how to do it, and a lot of it is… you know, nobody really wants to be the film-er [note: I think that's another Justin word].  [laughs] We’re all doing our thing on the road, and sometimes the road can get—it can be really exhausting.  As funny as it sounds, because really, it’s actually—seems like kind of a deluxe situation, which it is, but there’s also lots of traveling, lots of people all around all the time.  So, it is actually overwhelming, yeah and sometimes it’s hard to get into the zone.  Yeah, but we’re gonna try—we have Anthony’s really good friend and my good friend, Nicky, who’s coming on the road.  He’s selling merchandise for us.  Yeah so we’re hoping to get that stuff together soon.

IIP: Yeah, because I remember fans were asking what happened to question of the week when you guys used to do it before.

J: Yeah, we used to do question of the week.

IIP: So, that would be good if you guys could start that again.  Ok, so there’s actually one more question, there’s someone from Tunisia, he’s wondering when you’re coming back to Tunisia?

J: Oh wow!  We’re actually supposed to go to Morocco at some point.  I don’t know if we’re gonna—we’ll probably go back to Tunisia, but I’m just not sure when.  There’s no real definite answer for that at the moment.

“I feel like, more than ever, my vision has become clearer for what I want to do with music.  I really want to deepen my connection with music.”

IIP: So, the final question: The first album was released about, I guess, 3 or 4 years ago now, right?  So what was your perception of the music industry when you first started?  And has it changed over the years, or is it kind of what you expected it to be?

J: I don’t know how to even answer that, you know?  It’s kind of been—I guess in the beginning—it’s hard for me to focus on how I was feeling at that time—

IIP: Yeah, you were so young back then…

J: Yeah, but it’s also all kind of—I don’t know it feels like when it happens, it’s hard for me to remember things that happened in the past too.  You know, a lot of memories or things that happened.  I can’t quite remember or focus on what I was going through at that time.  But, I guess at that time, you know, I guess my ideas were a lot different as well, for what I wanted to do.  You know, maybe at that point, when I first released it, I was looking for a lot of validation maybe?  You know, looking for, I guess, other people that would listen to it and I didn’t know what was going to happen when I was recording it or when I first released it.  But now, I mean, at this point, I feel like, more than ever, my vision has become clearer for what I want to do with music.  I really want to deepen my connection with music.

Like, I was watching Oceans yesterday, I like that movie—

IIP: Oh I did see your Tweet.  I still have to see it – but yeah, it looks amazing.

J: Yeah!  Wow.  Incredible. It’s like Planet Earth, you know?  Yeah, like the shots are so moving, you know?  You can’t help but feel moved by it, you know?  It’s incredible, wow, you know?

“It’s impossible not to be watching this not to say “WOW!  What is going on right now?””

IIP: You sound really connected to Earth and just nature, in general…

J: Yeah well, like watching this movie, for instance, it’s impossible not to be watching this not to say “WOW!  What is going on right now?”  You know?  And I think you look up at the stars at night, and you have that same kind of feeling—that emotion of deep wonder and deep inspiration, you know?  And it’s always here—it’s always around us:  the sun is always shining everyday, the clouds are always moving, the wind is always blowing, people are always walking and there’s animals all around.  So, it’s always around—that emotion—that realization is always happening.  So, but there’s only moments where I feel like—like last night, for instance, when I watched it I had that deep realization, and I was like “WOW!”, you know, life and Planet Earth! [laughs]  The whole situation is mind-blowing and wow, what a situation!  So, I want to strengthen that perspective, you know?  I’d much rather live in that perspective.

IIP: You sound reinspired in a way—so that’s good—that’s really good.  Alright, so what’s next for you, Justin?  What are you going to do this week and upcoming?

J: I’m just going keep promoting the album and take the opportunities as they are given, and yeah, I think that’s it.  For me, personally, I just try to strengthen that state of mind, you know?  And yeah, continue to tour, but you know from that state of mind, I feel everything is far, far deeper.

IIP: Alright, I guess we’ll end on that note then.  Thank you so much for chatting with me today.

J: Yeah, thanks for having me.

IIP: Anytime.  Of course, you’re always welcomed on our site!

J: [laughs]  That’s good. Thanks, I really appreciate it—this is really cool.  And iminpeace.com, right?

IIP: Yeah, iminpeace.com.

IIP: Thanks so much.

J: Thank you so much.

IIP: Alright, take care.  Ok, bye.

J: Bye.