Industry Reviews is excited about today’s featured artist Jay Deuce
Check out our interview with Jay below..
IR: Let’s get to know a little bit more about you and how you grew up. So where do you consider hometown and what type of kid were you growing up?
JD: Well I’m Jay Deuce from the small town of Ettrick, VA right next to Petersburg where Trey Songz is from. As a kid I was smart and shy, not too bad, and I always had big dreams. I started off wanting to go to space.
IR: How old were you when you developed an interest in music?
JD: Very young I got my first keyboard at age 5 but my mother and everyone at home always listened to music and I gravitated to how it made them feel.
IR: What was the first album you ever listened to? Can you remember back that far?
JD: I actually remember listening to New Edition’s Heart Break album and “Can you stand the Rain” stuck with me. Johnny Gill amazed me even at that young age.
IR: When and how did you begin your journey in the world of music?
JD: It all began with that first keyboard and just being with my Mom all the time. I would record songs of the radio and then have a whole concert In my room singing along and dancing. Then when Usher came out with “Nice and Slow” I grabbed my notebook and wrote my own version and haven’t looked back.
IR: What influences shaped your musical style?
JD: Charlie Wilson from his Gap Band days, New Edition, Boyz II Men, Usher and Prince. I was a huge fan of the groups. Shawn and Wanya were like idols for me. Still have the utmost respect for them.
IR: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard it before?
JD: I’d say it’s sexy but sensual and at times very powerful. I believe I’m more traditional than most people doing this in this generation.
IR: Do you write a lot by yourself or do you have a partner or a group of people you work with?
JD: I usually always write by myself unless it’s a collaboration. In today’s world, with emailing and studios everywhere I have the advantage of being in the studio and creating energy with the other artist that I work with and we feed off of each other and make some pretty good music. That’s pretty important to me, however my own projects all I need is the music and my headphones and I just write the story that the producer has already told through his instruments of choice.
IR: What is your main goal at this point?
JD: A successful album release on May 26th and to continue to grow and make quality music for the fans. I’m not a man chasing fame or money I just want people to feel good and to be respected.
IR: Have you learned any lessons so far and if so, what are they?
JD: I’ve learned a few lessons but the one I’ll share is to just be yourself. Remember earlier I touched on being shy, well I use to get picked on a little bit for being a singer as I was younger so I stopped publicly and rapped for about three years. I can rap also but that’s not where my heart is, so now I’m grown up and I don’t care what anything one thinks I’m writing and singing music, that’s where my heart is. So to anyone reading this and maybe going through something similar please just be yourself.
IR: Are there any artists you wish to work with in the future?
JD: Being from Virginia I’d love to work with Trey Songz, Chris Brown and Tyra B. Definitely Usher, and The Dream as well.
IR: If you could create your dream tour, who would be a part of it?
JD: It would be old school to new for sure. I’d love to have myself, the Gap Band, New Edition, Boyz II Men, Usher and Prince. Hands down it would be them.
IR: Where can we find your music? Online and offline?
JD: My first single from the album ‘Justice’ ,which drops on May 26, “Runway” is available at all the typical places online. You can also visit my website www.iamjaydeuce.com and join the mailing list and hit the music page which will have music from my YouTube and soundcloud pages. Offline once the album is released look for physical copies in stores and if you’re in Texas catch me live on tour this summer!
IR: We ask all the artists we interview, what’s the best piece of advice someone’s ever given to you?
JD: This is probably not what you were expecting but I’m human and I was having a difficult time and a great friend told me to read the entire book of Job in the bible. Best piece of advice ever. So much was learned and I continue to lean on that each day moving forward.
