Just A Gent Interview - Tunes & Touring
We caught up with Just A Gent part way through his tour with San Holo to talk about his new single 'Hold' featuring Thief, the tour, and the Just A Gent project.
You can check out our previous interview with Just A Gent, HERE. You can also read our article on Just A Gent's track 'Hold' featuring Thief, HERE.
Futuremag Music: How’d you initially move into music?
Just A Gent: I initially moved into music because Dad is a guitarist, and used to be in a duo. So I'd listen to them practice twice a week, so that sparked my initial interest. I started writing music as a kid, and I used to sing when I was eight or nine. While I was doing that, I discovered that DJ’ing was a thing, but not necessarily electronic music. My cousin was doing school discos and shit. I thought it was a way to make sick income as a kid so I bought a controller, and started DJ’ing at kid discos. Sort of two years after I started DJ’ing, my Mum bought be a Ministry of Sound CD, and I guess it all started from there I guess.
Futuremag Music: Your growth has been massive, especially on Spotify, how’d everything kick off?
Just A Gent: Basically triple j boosted my Spotify to a whole new level, so when they start playing tracks, Spotify curators listen to the tracks and add them to playlists and such. SoundCloud was a whole different story, it’s where I really, really took off! I had all those old school dubstep blogs following me on there, so they started reposting my tracks, so that’s when people really started hearing my music.
Futuremag Music: Can you tell us about your SoundCloud account, Just A Tune?
Just A Gent: It’s basically me wanting to go back to my roots, to chuck up tracks willy nilly on SoundCloud. They are mostly bootlegs but there’s actually a couple of originals, sort of the B-Side of Just A Gent. It’s basically something extra to express myself through my music, by chucking shit up.
Futuremag Music: With your new track ‘Hold’ featuring Thief, what was the production process?
Just A Gent: Thief and I have been trying to get into a session for a really long time. About two years ago when we first tried to connect I was sick or something, and probably a year ago he reconnected, so we got into the studio. I had this basic beat that I made up the night before, so sort of a 20second thing made from a sample pack. It began as a super chill track, nothing like it is now, so we wrote over that. When I got home I wasn’t feeling it so I put it on the shelf for six months, and all of the sudden I jumped back into the project, and refreshed it. It turned out amazing, I love it!
Futuremag Music: What’s the reception like when you play the track live?
Just A Gent: So surprisingly it’s going really well! A lot of people seem to know it, which is crazy, because it was getting fucked over by SoundCloud due to its dodgy copyright claim system. My biggest fanbase didn’t even get to hear the track, cause it was just getting screwed, but somehow people still know it, and loving it. Live it has been getting a pretty good reaction.
Futuremag Music: How’s the tour with San Holo been going?
Just A Gent: I’ve known San Holo for a while online, chatting on twitter, and what not. We actually have the same agent here in Australia, so when the time came around it sort of made sense to jump on that Australian tour. Also, somehow, I don’t know how it happened, I got on the American tour too, I’m so happy! It’s like two months, 36 dates traveling around the USA, which is the bulk of the tour. It’s going to be crazy, I can’t wait!
Futuremag Music: What does the future hold for Just A Gent?
Just A Gent: Well I am working on an EP, but it currently has enough content to fill an album. There’s heaps of new music coming, and hopefully develop the show a lot more. I’d love to get some more money into my shows to get sick visuals, and tour around a lighting guy to make it a full on production and show for the next tour within Australia.
