Say hello to .. Justin Jones.
Meet Justin Jones, a singer/songwriter from the Inland Empire, CA. We had the pleasure of getting to ask Justin all about his music journey, including his creative process, his band Rogue Fame, and more.
Read the Q+A below!
OA: What inspired you to start playing and making music?
Justin: Well that purpose has changed over time. Back when I was in high school I would’ve said to get girls or to look cool but now as a 23 year old it’s to: get girls, look cool, pay the bills, but most importantly to heal myself as well as other people, because this world is a terrible place sometimes and music is one of the only things that really helps with the traumas of life. So, if I can save some poor sap from killing himself or inspire someone to take life by the balls with the confident energy I give off, then I’ll call that a purpose worth doing for the sake of making music.
OA: How would you describe your music style?
Justin: A goddamn rainbow and unpredictable to say the least. I don’t want anyone to know my next move so that’s why one song will have some jazz influence and another with Spanish and another of just hard rock with some witty lyrics. But at the end of the day, I have to just call it alternative rock because sometimes there just isn’t a classification for things.
OA: Who are some of your biggest music inspirations/influences?
Justin: Queens of the Stone Age is my number 1 and falling in after that would be: James brown, Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood, and Soundgarden. But also a few comedians, like Anthony Jeselnek, Robin Williams, and Don Rickles.
OA: What’s your creative process like when you write and produce new music? And how do you overcome creative blocks or challenges during the process?
Justin: I usually just have a riff or some lyrics or a drum beat and I roll with one of the things for a while and it just aligns up through time and effort. And I don’t usually get blocks, but when I do I just wait and absorb new ideas like a sponge and usually I can crank out a song in a day or two and it’s pretty solid. Sometimes doing nothing gets you results.
OA: You are the founder and frontman of the band Rogue Fame, what inspired you to start this music project? Can you tell us a little more about it?
Justin: Well we used to be called Unholy Priest until I changed it to Rogue Fame. It felt better and I came up with that new name by taking my tia’s old mastiff dog named Rogue into account, but at the same time trying to think of a word that meant elegant but also dangerous. Unfortunately, nothing fit that exact description. But the word rogue is pronounced elegantly and can be interpreted as dangerous so that was the first half. Fame I got from an Kurt Cobain interview, because he would always be eating or playing with his kid and didn’t give a shit, so there’s a rogueness in that so rogue fame came to be.
OA: What is your favorite thing about performing your music live? Do you have a favorite show you've done so far?
Justin: I feel at home on that stage, I don’t have to fake anything. That character I do is just a slightly more amplified version of myself already. I’m witty, funny, charismatic amongst a lot of other things but when I’m on stage that shit is cranked to 11. My favorite show so far was the House of Blues in Anaheim that we played, I got to dance with go go dancers and serenaded a milf!
OA: How important is your fashion style when performing on stage? Do you think it adds to your performance and overall onstage character?
Justin: Fashion is just as important as everything else, it’s presentation. For instance, if someone gave you a chose to choose between a gift that’s in a golden wrapped box with a nice bow and another gift that’s in a cheap paper bag.. you’d obviously choose the more fancier option. Why? Because, it sticks out and is instantly radiating more value and that’s how I expect things on my stage for my show. That’s why my suits and guitars are very important and vital to execute a great show, because if you don’t look great then you’re not going to sound great. If you’re wearing lame t shirts and jeans to your shows you better take a damn good look in the mirror..because I know I do and I look damn good.
OA: How many guitars do you have & do you have a favorite? Any of them have names?
Justin: I have 5 guitars; consisting of one acoustic, one resonator, and 3 electric guitars. The Purple one with all the women on it, is my main one that is for E standard tuning and it’s name is The Mistress, the red one with the gangster and money on it is for my heavier C standard songs and is called Money Maker, and the blue one with the Native American sticker is for my D standard songs and is called Zombie Tomahawk. I’d say they’re all my favorite, each having their own time to shine, but if I really had to choose it would be The Mistress.
OA: What are some of your favorite songs you’ve ever written & can you tell us a little more about each one?
Justin: “Nocturnal Animals” is one of my favorites cause it’s funky and heavy at the sometime. It’s about a man falling in love with a skin walker woman and he gets that skin walkerussy (that’s the fun metaphor); it’s really about two people falling in love but one of them realizing their partner isn’t who they thought they were after they start shedding their skin and showing their true colors (infidelity, gaslighting, using, abuse).
”Judas Kissed a Sabbath” cause it’s a straight forward rock song about a forbidden love between a greaser named Judas and pin up rockabilly named Sabbath. (Obviously religious references but let’s call it a different take on the Romeo and Juliet story).
”Dream Catcher” is basically a song about single mothers and their hardships. This song is specifically about a single mother who just so happens to be a Native American stripper who’s stage name is Dream catcher, raising her two children and facing hardships along the way.
”New Obsession” is a song about someone who constantly keeps trying to capture the magic of love with a person but keeps fucking up that next person in line, therefore repeating the cycle. Moral of the story, don’t pretend that you’re relationship material when you clearly aren’t.
”Never Again” is a hard rock ballad about saying no to letting someone else decide your own happiness, it’s about the day you bow to never again take shit from anyone or let them belittle you. You gotta embrace what makes you awesome and run with it and don’t ever look back. You can’t please everyone so don’t bother trying to, just please you and only you and the rest will follow.
OA: And finally, what are some of your ultimate goals with your music?
Justin: I want to get a record deal and tour around the world and collaborate with my heroes as well as friends I meet along the way. I know signing a deal is signing your life to the devil a bit, but fuck it. I know the risks and the risk is a lot better than staying in a 9 to 5 bullshit job. If I’m gonna burn might as well do it in style.