Hailing from Los Angeles, Justin Hulsey is a singer/songwriter and gifted musician. Equipped with Midwest roots and a Nashville upbringing, Justin has released 5 full-length albums and multiple singles. With his impressive repertoire ranging from heartbreaking acoustic songs to grungey progressive rock songs, Justin Hulsey is a master of versatility. A literary buff, Justin Hulsey fills his music with emotive lyricisms and heavy subject matter.
His latest single “Fun Gun” displays Justin’s passion for human rights combined with light-hearted melodies. A melancholic and charmingly organic intro slowly intensifies into a masterly crafted hit. The one of a kind sound is soulful with undertones of blues vibes. The hook has me completely blown away. It’s harmonically-rich, grungy, and all-around groundbreaking. Justin throws down tight grooves throughout the entire track and his vocals are mesmerizing. The versatility is fully showcased through the gritty hook and flawlessly switching to a soft angelic delivery. “Fun Gun” has a strong poetic lyrical substance and Justin Hulsey captures the essence of the emotion through spectacular lyricism and catchy riffs. The flowing sound arrangements and catchy melody make this song very addicting and we’re loving it.
Check out “Fun Gun” here and read more with Justin Hulsey in our interview below!
Welcome to BuzzMusic Justin Hulsey! For our readers who don’t know, how would you describe your sound and overall approach to making music?
I would have to say that the sound is influenced by the words. I don’t think I’ve ever stuck to just one genre or sound. I’ve always been lyrically driven. When I was young and learned a few chords I started to write. I use music as a vehicle for the words to be heard. Sometimes that vehicle is rock. Sometimes soft acoustic. Sometimes machines of sorts.
Who has had the biggest influence on your life musically thus far? Can you describe the impact this particular individual has had in terms of your new song “Fun Gun”?
That’s a tough one. I’m mostly influenced by honesty. If an artist or a song isn’t honest then I can’t connect. I’ve always been under the influence of people like Jackson Browne, David Gray and bands such as Doves, Mew, and Elbow (Guy Garvey is a master songwriter!). R.E.M. has had a huge impact on me. Michael Stipe always seemed to just let his stream of conscious lead the way. Emotionally and politically. Even if you don’t understand what the hell he’s saying, which can be often, it just connects…it just makes sense.
With “Fun Gun” I got the chance to marry the three. Stream of conscious. Emotion. Politics. But not just politics, human rights. As a father, I’ve been outraged by the continuous shootings in this country. I was the same age as the kids at Columbine in ’99. And now here we are, 20 years later and I’m fearing for my son. It’s sickening. I’m a big proponent of making our gun laws smarter and safer. There’s no reason that this shouldn’t be obvious to everyone. And it pisses me off that it’s such a struggle and that while all the adults and leaders argue over it, more people are dying every day.
We also checked out your amazing album “Morning Bloom”! How does this new single differ from the songs on that album? Has your sound changed or evolved with time?
That was a tough time for me. A lot of big life changes were taking place, the end of a marriage, the beginning of being a single dad, and being in a new town which I never quite took to, so all of those songs pretty much wrote themselves. For better or worse I’m pretty heart-on-sleeve most of the time. Those songs were also all written on the acoustic guitar in a cold studio apartment about the size of a shoebox. At least it was across the street from the neighborhood bar. My producer and long-time friend, Justin Glasco, and I built the music for Morning Bloom from the ground up. And I love that process. With “Fun Gun” and the new music I’ve been trying my hand at the producer role. So my approach to writing has changed a bit because of that. No matter the process it’s going, to be honest. That’s the only way for me.
We love that your new single is personal yet still vague enough to be relatable. What predominant message was integrated within "Fun Gun"?
I’m tired of seeing people killed, especially our children. It’s got to stop. I want people to stand up and say enough’s enough. It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed of this country’s mentality. Music is powerful and all I’ve ever wanted to do with mine is to have a connection, to contribute. So “Fun Gun” is my way of contributing. All of the proceeds from downloads and streams will be donated to Everytown For Gun Safety. A really fantastic organization that’s making a lot of headway and opening a lot of minds.
Thank you so much for chatting with us! What’s next for you artistically? Are you working on a longer project to accompany your new single!?
I am working on the new album actually. The plan is to have "Fun Gun" be included but we’ll see. Doing a lot of writing and I’m starting to hone in on what it’s going to be. I’m really proud of these songs and very excited to share them.
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