Richard Jay

August 1, 2010 12:16 am
Popcounterculture
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You’ve Got Nothing on This Kid
By Joyce Quach

Richard Jay

He writes, plays, sings, records, mixes, and masters his own music at all of seventeen years of age. So it’s clear that when I say, “You’ve got nothing on this kid,” I’m dropping the term “kid” quite loosely. And it’s true; musicians twice his age have nothing on Richard Jay.

Getting bit by the music bug in the most unorthodox of ways (his mum booked a session for him at a studio when he was thirteen), the teenage electro-pop prodigy began his journey into the music world. Admittedly Jay says, “I didn’t have anything really prepared when I went in with me, and I sort of just came out with this cool song and that’s when I knew I wanted to do it.”

The blank slate Jay went into the studio with may have been the best way to cultivate his innate sense of creativity. A particular kind of style definitely pops when listening to any of Jay’s tracks (check out “This is Halloween” or “Save Me”). Without any preconceived notions of how a song should sound like, Jay was free to experiment with his own ideas – some of which were inspired by his love of horror films.

: Richard Jay

Jay’s instincts towards his music-making processes are most definitely paying off. Already tapped by prominent producers in the industry interested in working with him, Jay’s brand of do-it-yourself music making goes to show how far an artist can go with just an inquisitive sensibility.

On why Jay insists on being a part of every step in the studio process, he explains, “when I went into the studio for the first time…I had to know what everything did and that’s just the way I learned.”

Not only is he slated to perform at the Umbrella Fair Festival in front of a few thousand spectators in August, Jay is set to work with Allie Gonino (one fifth of the all-girl group, The Stunners) as well as Internet pop phenomenon, Sky Ferreira.

“I think there are a lot of girls that are making a lot of music, and I think they are making really good music,” says Jay. “I think there needs to be more guy artists out there making their own kind of music, not other people writing for them.”

On whether Jay is concerned with potentially being turned into the next teenage heartthrob, he laughs at the thought.

“It would be more of an honour really, but I don’t know if that’s the kind of thing that would happen. I don’t know if I can see myself as Justin Bieber.”

The pressures of being on the cusp of breaking into the music industry don’t seem to faze Jay. Even with the new found attention, he remains calm and grounded, focusing on different projects in the works.

“Different things happen and I tend to go with the flow,” Jay continues, “I just have to give it a go and hopefully have some support out there.”

If Jay’s latest creation “Today” is any indication of what’s to come, the music industry and fans better be prepared for a new wave of UK music invasion on the pop charts.

You know the saying, “It’s never too late to go after your dreams”? Well evidently, Richard Jay shows us that it’s never too early to start either.

Tour Dates

08.07.10 Umbrella Fair Festival Northampton, UK

More Info

Richard Jay
Myspace

Who knows? With his dashing good looks and that charming English accent, “Bieber fever” could simmer and girls around the world would potentially convert to the “Jay craze” instead.

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