We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jos Azuriz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jos, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
Being an artist doesn’t mean the art is always flowing out of you. Granted, I always tell people who ask “How do you write songs?” that i can’t explain it, it just flows out of me. But that’s not always the case. Writer’s block usually hits me hard after preparing for a big project. I’ve recently been working on my debut EP, Lucy, and after I finished writing for the project, it felt like my thoughts were being blocked by a brick wall. Everything that came out of me was like drinking from a dirty stream. Luckily, it’s not the first time I’ve experienced this, so I knew how to get out of it.
The biggest thing for me is journaling every day. It doesn’t matter what kind of writing it is or how eventful my day was, but getting in the flow of writing something, anything helps open up the flow of creativity again. And it’s especially useful to go back through old journal entries to come up with new ideas. Whenever I’m coming up on a deadline and need a killer idea, I’ll sift through pages from eventful weeks and highlight everything I could turn into a hook or fun concept.
If the writer’s block is coming from being stuck in your own head, reading other people’s work gets the ideas flowing again. Spotify has a playlist called “On Repeat” that is curated based on your recent song repeats. I like to go through that playlist, really listen to each song and find out what I like about it. I’ll dig deep on the lyrical and melodic structures, and the meaning behind each section of the songs. If that’s too nerdy, you can never go wrong with reading a new book. My latest reads were the new Hunger Games prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” and Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman In Me”. I find that reading fiction helps with writing storytelling songs, while non-fiction, like Britney’s memoir, helps me visualize the way people talk, and how I can make songs more conversational.
Seeing other artists in action is a huge motivator as well. Going to shows and watching the passion and emotion that others have towards music inspires me so much that I always want to run home and write until the sun comes up.
It’s easy to get caught up in the world inside of your mind. Watching others be where you want to be, feeling like you’ve exhausted every good idea you’ll have for the rest of your life – it’s all part of the process.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a New York City based artist, singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. I play keyboard and do the occasional backing vocals for vocalists and bands in the city, as well as work on my own artist project. I’m gearing up to release my debut EP entitled Lucy, which will be out on the later side of Spring 2024. This will be my first time releasing anything under my own artist name and I’ve been working hard, alongside my co-writers and producers, to make sure this project showcases everything that I am at this point in my career. My wonderful friends, Bri Suarez and Ang… (who are artists themselves) are featured songwriters on a few songs, one in particular that we are beyond excited to share with everyone.
Lucy is my take on a modern love story. Dating nowadays, especially in New York City, feels like a never-ending battle that you’re never going to win. Lucy shares my personal experiences and perspectives on what it’s like to put yourself out there and the aftermath of falling hard for people who probably aren’t good for you in the long run.
I’m honored to share that I will be performing at the New York Songwriters Circle, alongside some incredible writers, on Monday, May 6th 2024, and will have some headlining performances in the near future.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My number one quality that has gotten me through anything and everything is perseverance. You can do anything you set your mind to if you truly believe in yourself. I grew up in a small town in Georgia, where music wasn’t necessarily an option. I knew I wanted to be somewhere where I could make music happen, so I pushed through all of the negativity I faced about a future in music with a smile on my face and now I’m here making it happen.
Second is positivity and finding a silver lining. Nobody talking negatively about you and your success is doing better than you are. There are always going to be circumstances that drag you down or make you feel like you’re moving in the wrong direction. Finding the good in each situation is what will keep you afloat, no matter what comes your way.
Third is being authentically me. As cheesy as that sounds, people can smell a fraud from a mile away. It’s better to just be you, even if it feels scary and vulnerable. The right people will love your genuine self more than the wrong people will ever love your fake self.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes, absolutely! I’m always looking to meet new people, especially other creatives. It’s such a wonderful feeling when you meet someone who does what you do. Collaboration is crucial to great art, you can’t always be trapped in your own mind. Sometimes the person next to you has the puzzle piece you never knew was missing.
If anyone is ever looking to co-write, jam, or even just talk about music, I’m reachable on socials – Instagram @josazuriz and TikTok @josazurizmusic.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josazuriz/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/josazuriz
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@josazurizmusic
Image Credits
1. in the studio: Andi Aguilar @andiibop (instagram) 2. “I <3 Lying” shirt: @elladxnovan (instagram) 3. Morris Country Pride performing with Colorjoy, Nicole Yori-Gibson @mama_yori3 4. my EP cover photoshoot: Bri Suarez @bri_suarez (instagram)
