We were lucky to catch up with Justine Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.
Justine , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found more recently, an ability to accept my purpose. Like many others, during COVID, when there was no choice but to stay home, I found a way to work inward. Through a WhatsApp women’s group where we embodied the elements daily & talked about our dreams and fears weekly, I was able to explore many hidden parts of myself that helped me accept and own that I am an artist. Through the fire element, sensuality. Through the earth element, my love for birds. Through the air element, new abilities to communicate, and through the water element, the ability to receive. Having a sacred and safe space to express my dreams gave me permission to move forward with them, in a way that is more authentically me, more gentle. One example is, I feel that I move slower than others around me. Learning to accept that helped me do things in my own way with less guilt. The guilt comes from failing to live up to the impossible expectation of being someone else. Our purpose I believe, is to learn how to move through the world in our own unique way, which shows a lot of love for ourselves and others.
What I am chasing in this life, is that magical feeling of creating something out of nothing. To be able to share that magic is healing for me, and for many who witness it. There is a vulnerability that I have experienced so often from other’s music that heals and feels necessary in order to live a peaceful life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a multi-instrumentalist and visual artist living in and loving Los Angeles. I write and produce indie-pop, rock, & folk music under the name Easy Love.
My current project Bedroom Songs was created during COVID, mostly in my living room & bedroom, solely using the GarageBand app on my iPhone. The convenience and surprisingly good quality of this medium convinces me that I don’t need an expensive studio to make a great song. Most of these songs were created in one sitting, capturing a true snapshot of that moment in time. I took inspiration from the experimental flow of Beach Boy’s Smiley Smile and Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour of Bewilderbeast, piecing together an album that feels like a journey. The fun part of it for me is noticing that the small mistakes start to become anticipated and even essential the more you listen.
The first single, I Wanna Be Light, starts with a loop that I made with my harp and is driven by punchy digital drums that come in during the first verse. The combination of using electronic instruments and organic ones is something that I played with a lot for this collection of songs.
The first single, I Wanna Be Light, mixed with Wyatt Blair (of Lolipop Records), will come out this spring, along with the video I am currently editing.
The video was filmed through my binoculars, with the help of my sister and small team of friends. It is a dedication to my recently-found love of birds.
There is something powerful about going DIY for this project. As much as I do enjoy recording in a studio, (and will continue to do so) I hope to develop a channel to keep releasing bedroom songs.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Though I feel I am still early in my current journey, I have learned a lot over the past few years through spirituality, community, and sisterhood.
1 The ability to let go of perfection.
It’s not easy and it’s not just one battle. There are many small battles I go through around deciding when to be done with each step of a project.
The more I stew on something, the more I question it, and the more I am likely to keep chipping away too much in one spot, until there is nothing left of value in it anymore and the spark disappears.
I’ve learned that when I have that golden moment of loving my work, I should go with that magical feeling and release it into the world.
2 Asking for help
I learned that trying to do everything myself is impossible. Learning to use the resources I have around me and to not be afraid to ask is helpful. I will not always get a yes from everyone and that can be scary. Don’t be afraid of the no’s and try not take them personally.
Know that you deserve to ask for what you need.
We should all be able to receive gracefully so that we can more easily ask for help.
3 Find your own medium. Create a process that works for you.
For so many years I tried to do things the way others were doing them in order to feel accepted. I have learned that way though in a sense, by trying and failing, then finding my own way through necessity. I am still learning to accept my own unique process, even though it might not make sense to most other people. It can feel isolating at times (getting those confused looks on their faces when I try to explain it or feeling left behind when I am not moving as fast), so it’s difficult in that way, but so rewarding when I am able to see what beauty comes from my own flow.
By following these bits of advice I learned from others, by going inward through journaling, and by surrounding myself with people that see and accept me for who I am, I starting feeling more able to take those small steps to better prioritize my creative dreams.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I have lots of ideas of how I would want to collaborate!
I would love to work with someone who can exchange stems through email in order to create song collages. Preferably someone into electronic music that could share knowledge about the world of plug ins and midi instruments.
I would love to meet musicians that can hop on stage with me when available, singing harmonies and playing whatever is necessary for that show, and in exchange I can hop on with them for a show when they need me. Hello multi-instrumentalists!
Hello visual artists (drawing, painting, video, photography)! I would love help with art work for upcoming releases and we could even set up a show together at a gallery.
My email is [email protected], instagram @easylovemusic
Please reach out 🙂
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @easylovemusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@easylovemusicvideos
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Saoli Nash Christopher Arthur Dustin Newhouse (images #5 & 6)
