JTLR is a duo between Jonny T and Lyric Richardson who creates Soul Pop, Urban Pop, Hip Hop, and R&B. Their music is the birth of '80s and '90s music mixed with the cinematic of LA and Inglewood. JTLR's latest single "What I'm Made to Do" is a fun upbeat energetic record. "What I'm Made to Do" features a beautiful electric piano, an extremely funky bass line, modern pulsing drums, and a dynamic vocal performance that switches between singing in a vocoded style and a raw honest rap that is full of vibe. The dynamic between both vocal styles is master-crafted in a way that allows for each to shine on their own but also feel cohesive as one.
"What I'm Made to Do" opens with its elegant electric piano before breaking into a party in the first verse, the lead singing then breaks into a tight rap for the second half before hitting you with a chorus. The chorus explodes with vocal doubles and effects, combined with the driving drums and bass it will get you dancing sexier on the dance floor. Overall, this release is full of good vibes and energy and we can't wait to hear what else JTLR will be putting out.
Welcome to BuzzMusic JTLR! Your release "What I'm Made to Do" is full of exciting energy and we're loving it! Could you talk to us about the songwriting and production process for it?
We were in the studio wrapping up another song when we got the instrumental for what would become "What I'm Made to Do." We bounced around subject matter concepts and actually wrote the song together in the same space. About an hour later, we were recording the song. A few days later, we had a final mix that was sent out for mastering.
The dynamic between singing and rapping is incredibly well done! How are parts written for each, typically? Does a rap usually start first? How did the two of you come to meet?
It honestly depends on the energy and vibe of the music we are writing to. The subject matter also plays a role in that decision. Some songs have only rap. Some songs have no rap at all. Most of our songs combine both. We met through MySpace over 10 years ago. We have been creating music together with the majority of that time. Because we actually get along, have similar roots, and have a genuine friendship, our songwriting process has a simple flow. We have a clear awareness of the type of listener we hope to attract and we create to that space. The instrumentals are funkier than we expected and it's awesome! How did that bass line come to life? Was that part of the initial writing process? Who's playing the bass behind that?
We work with a number of producers and production companies. Beats by Mantra is responsible for all elements of the instrumentation. Mantra has produced major acts like Future, Tory Lanez, Lil Nas X and Pitbull to name a few. So they know what they are doing! We are influenced by all things 80's and 90's and that funky bass line speaks to those eras. Plus, it's just a dope beat that screams fun and JTLR is all for that.
We heard that you are partnered with Sony music! That's quite exciting! How has partnering with them helped to shape your career? Do you have any goals for your future self?
Our music is distributed by The Orchard, which is owned by Sony Music. We have a partnership with Digidi Music Co-Op based in Denmark. Having our music included in these systems and libraries is great. We receive a tremendous amount of technical support and supplemental marketing services through Digidi. Having an association with a well established and respected distribution company like The Orchard helps from a business-facing-business perspective as we continue to grow relationships with sync-licensing companies, other labels, and larger influencer partners. Our associations allow us to fairly pose the question: If Digidi & The Orchard rocks with us, why aren't you?
We are independent artists with a level of support we don't take for granted. 'What I'm Made to Do" is approaching 100,000 streams on Spotify. We appreciate every listener and social media follower and fan. We are looking to increase our awareness and create more excitement around JTLR. We have a new Instagram page - @jtlr_music - our last page was recently hacked and we had to start over. So join our conversation by following us and let us join your conversations by allowing us to follow you back!
What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020?
The Coronavirus Pandemic has completely thrown us off. For the remainder of 2020, we are going to release a number of singles and focus a lot on re-growing our presence on Instagram and the online space in general. The conditions of the world will direct us in terms of live performances and appearances. We just released a new single called Good Thing featuring Breana Marin. We also have another song called The WildBunch that releases in April. We are still adding to our catalog of over 50 songs. We have plenty of content to release.