Get to know Just Shy, a new artist out of Melbourne who’s got a hot introductory single called ‘I Am Here’ to share with us.
Could he possibly have chosen a more apt title for a debut single? We think not.
Discover more about him, his musical memories, his unashamed love of pop music and what his future plans involve… all part of our latest Get To Know feature.
01. Name : Just Shy.
02. Where are you based? Melbourne.
03. How did you get your start in music? I played clarinet all through school, which eventually stretched into studying music theory and dabbling in composition, which in turn eventually stretched into writing some pop songs of varying quality as a late teen. And now, a few years later, here we are!
04. Give us five words to best describe you as an artist. Melodic, electronic, contemplative, evocative, personal.
05. Tell us a little bit about your sound and how it developed. My music is electronic pop. Captivating melodies paired with imagery-based, thought-provoking lyrics are key for me — when I write, I try to capture a specific mood or story.
I’ve worked with a brilliant local producer named Hypersleep to help bring these stories to life more strongly — we’ve created some dynamic, flourishing instrumentals that I’m really proud of.
06. What’s your earliest musical memory? Every night at bedtime my dad would sing me ‘Beautiful Boy’ by John Lennon, and add my name on the end of the chorus. A personalised lullaby!
07. Who have been your musical influences? I’ve always been a huge fan of strong, melodic pop like Girls Aloud, Rihanna and Britney. In more recent years I’ve developed a real appreciation for beautiful imagery and storytelling through lyrics (think Pet Shop Boys and The 1975). In my own songwriting I try and fuse elements of the two.
08. What are your favourite songs of all time? I really, really love pop songs that grab you by the throat and refuse to let go for their duration. ‘Swinging London Town’ by Girls Aloud and ‘Track 10’ by Charli XCX would have to be up there for me — they really exemplify that quality of being totally sonically arresting.
More generally, Pet Shop Boys’ ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?’, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘If You Go’ and Britney Spears’ ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’ are all stone cold classics to my ears.
09. Where’s your favourite place to listen to music? Lying in a park in the afternoon sun, or on a rooftop, surrounded by friends, three glasses of wine in as the sun sets.
10. Who are your go-to artists when you’re feeling : Happy? Carly Rae Jepsen. Sad? Girls Aloud (to cheer myself up). Introspective? Goldfrapp. Exhausted? ABC Classic 2 or Mark Barrott.
11. What was the first album you ever bought? Vanessa Amorosi – The Power. Still so many bangers.
12. Give us a little fun fact about yourself that people might not know. I have seen Lily Allen live thrice (and counting).
13. What would your chosen career be if music wasn’t an option? I work full-time in Marketing! It’s a really dynamic, ever-changing field, so I’m never bored.
14. What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career? To do something and have to work at it, change it or scrap it entirely is better than to not do it at all.
15. If you could trade places with any artist in the world right now, who would it be? Charli XCX — she’s creating incredible, forward-thinking pop music with great people and always seems to be having the best time doing it.
16. Tell us about your latest release. I’m calling ‘I Am Here’ a raveathon in miniature. It starts out quite subtly, but then builds to the first chorus — and once it’s on, it’s on. It’s a song about consciously embracing the sparkle and transience of a big night out, knowing full well that it can’t last.
17. What do your future plans involve? I’ve got two more songs locked and loaded for release over the coming months, with a few more up my sleeve that I’d like to record later this year.
18. Where can our audience catch you live? Nowhere, just yet! Once I have a few more songs out I’ll probably start thinking about the live side of things properly.
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/justshymusic
INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/justshymusic
TWITTER : https://twitter.com/just_shy
Australia's first stop for pop!