Meet John-Robert: from a small town in Virginia to LA to make his big move into the music industry
Photography: Spencer Ford / smoneyz
Words: Gioi / gioiagiovani
Young and spontaneous, artist/producer John-Robert / johnrobert discovered by Grammy-nominated producer Ricky Reed at the age of 16.
From writing tunes in his parents basement by himself, he’s now here with us to share his music experience so far.
“I write for me first, so there’s no intention of sending a message. I want people to take what they will from it.” That’s him presenting his new release ‘Health Baby Boy’, exclusively on French Fries.
First of all, congrats on your new single! How do you feel about it?
It’s exciting to show people the latest advancement of myself and my music. Once you release a tune, it’s no longer yours. Anyone can do whatever they want with it, and I live for that interaction between art and people.
Producer Ricky Reed discovered you at the age of 16 and described you as “a transcendent, once-in-a-generation singer and songwriter”. You were very young. How did you feel at that time?
I was just happy to be there. My first session with Ricky, he asked me if I had ADD, because I was bouncing off of the walls with excitement. I felt privileged, and that my set needed to be second nature to me. My father always made me understand the competitiveness of the music industry.
You grew up in a small town in Virginia and you took your big step to LA to pursue your dream. What did you appreciate about living in a small town and how did it affect or inspire your songwriting?
I was primarily a product of the internet, so my influences ranged from Velvet Underground, to Twenty One Pilots. With that said, I became an acoustic singer songwriter so I could perform at local cafes. I was also a regular on a show called “The Shenandoah Jamboree” where I was introduced to country, Appalachian Folk, and bluegrass. The main take away was the story telling in those genres were incredible and could even be tongue and cheek in tone.
What’s your first memory related to music in general?
Cold spaghetti, Cold Spaghetti. The Wiggles had nothing but bangers, and were my initial inspiration. They instilled a love for music in me at an early age. Fruit salad… yummy yummy.
You used to post cover songs on social media. How do you value social media in life and in the music world?
Everything in moderation. My sense of value doesn’t come from social media, because compliments are crippling, and trolls be lurking. With that said, it’s a great place to engage with people who dig (and don’t dig) your sound. When my goal to secure a Swedish Fish sponsorship started becoming an inside joke, I realized it was possible to establish a community in that space.
In 2019 you released “Adeline” and it has got over 1.8 million streams and gained fans like Camilla Cabello. What does being famous represent to you?
I can’t even take a step out the door without being recognized. One time I signed a girl's cast and her friend got so jealous, she broke her own arm so that she would have her arm signed too. Also fame brings famous friend dilemmas. So Shawn Mendes is always banging my line to hang and I always have to tell him I have “family in town”. However I don’t get lost in the sauce, chewed out by the clout, or slip on my own drip. I’m still the well mannered Virginia kid.
“Bailey Barely Knew Me” is the title of your debut EP which got released in May. Tell us something about it.
I wrote all the tunes in my parents basement by myself. When I met Ricky, he polished up and produced out the tracks. The synths in Pelican, are all stock Logic plug-ins. I recorded the acoustic guitar for Urs, and Pelican at home and gave location credits to “The Rimel Basement”.
You’ve just teamed up with Grammy-winning Alessia Cara for the duet “Fav Boy”. What is your aim in terms of advancing your collaborations? Who would you like to collaborate with in your future?
First off, when Alessia added her vocals to the track, I thought, “So this is what a professional does.” I truly admire Nate Mercereau for his inconceivable understanding of music. In all honesty, I was intimidated, and incredibly shy when I first met him. The man is in a league of his own, and he’s someone I hope to continue to collaborate with. Adrianne Lenker is another name that comes to mind. I think she’s a poetic old soul, and I would love to have any excuse to be in the same room as her. I adore her work.
What was your experience of quarantine related to music?
Not much changed because I worked on music alone in my house before the outbreak. My collaboration process with Ricky is different however. We shoot back references, stems, and I record/chat in a separate room as him.
Tell us about your new song “Health Baby Boy”. What’s the message you want to send?
I write for me first, so there's no intention of sending a message. I want people to take what they will from it. With that said, what I learned throughout listing my problems in the first couple of verses, is that they are manageable. In the end I give the song some optimism and closure. I reflect on being a child whilst currently being an adult. So I buy a sled to signify that I will continue to entertain the child in me. Or even though I moved away from my support systems, I can still call. It’s a glass half full outlook.
