Exclusive | JC Villafan

By Shawal Ras
Follow @shawalras

The Record Blog recently had a special interview session (OK, email interview - but it's still special!) with a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, JC Villafan, who began his musical career in the beautiful Southern California. His passion for crafting evocative lyrics and rhythmically expressive guitar work, Villafan has captivated a devoted fan base locally and internationally with his charming stage presence and soulful vocal ability. 

After the release of 'Sweet Time' in 2012, followed by I Still Believe EP in 2014 and the first volume of Acoustic, which released a few days ago, Villafan sat with us to talk about his career, his life and what's in store for us in the near future...

THE RECORD BLOG: First and foremost, would you give us a short note about yourself?
JC VILLAFAN: Hey, everyone! My name is JC Villafan. I love music and I love hanging out with people.  I grew up an athlete, but I’m not so adventurous these days. So, I typically like to hang out, have a nice drink, and as long as there are instruments around and musicians to play them, I am happy.

TRB: How did you get your start in the business? 
JCV: Like many “soulful” sounding artists, I got my start in the church. But that started because I started lugging around a guitar in the sixth grade 'cos I wanted a girl to like me. She soon became my first girlfriend. That relationship didn’t last but luckily I stuck with the guitar!

TRB: Why music? 
JCV: Growing up, my mother was a stay-at-home mom and she’d always be cleaning and listening to music. The music she would listen to were Spanish ballads, and I just loved they way they made my heart feel. When I started to play and write music, I realised that I could do the same thing - given the right chords and melodies. I love listening to music that makes your heart feels something. Those were the tunes that inspire me to write songs that move people’s hearts.

TRB: Can you tell us a bit about it? I mean the essence that defines you in your music.
JCV: On the outside, my music is growing and developing into a mixture of Coldplay, The Cranberries, Richard Mullins, and John Mayer - and a little bit of Sade.

The message I write about is empowerment and encouragement to pursue goals and dreams.  I think I found myself writing a lot about that when I first got started because it was a hard thing trying to figure out how to “do” this music thing.  The songs that I wrote were secretly my very own self anthems. Recently, I've been writing songs that are personal to me, like why I do things and why my heart and mind changes over time. It's something that happens to all of us. 

TRB: What inspires you and your craft?
JCV: Honestly, I’m finding it harder these days to figure that out. But I have developed this understanding of pausing and living in moments.  Sometimes I’m doing something or speaking with something and a thought, a revelation comes to mind and I just have to write about it.  Like the other day, I was talking to a couple who lost their son. That was heart-wrenching for me to hear.  I had that on my mind for a few days, reliving that moment of them telling me. I wrote a song about time, and pain not disappearing but rather it fades with time.  I’ve had some experiences with losing many close people in my life, obviously nothing close to losing a child, but I wrote from my own perspective.  

TRB: Any collaboration in the works we should know about? 
JCV: Yes, actually! I am currently collaborating with a French hip-hop artist named Malone. I’ll be singing in French on a song for his album, which is set to be released this year. I’ve also expanded my publishing and recording label and have some songwriters I am working with, so for the first time, not all the songs I will release will be entirely written, or written at all, by me.

TRB: What can we expect from you in the near future? 
JCV: I’ve recently been working on the production for my first album. I plan to release that in July of this year, right before heading back overseas for a tour. Before that, I’ll also release the second volume of my Acoustic EP, so that people can get acquainted with some of the tunes I'm currently doing. I’m glad that I've spent the last one year and a half investing and building a studio - now I have no excuse for the lack of new materials!

TRB: One final and slightly silly question: Do you have anyone special in your life right now?
JCV: Yes, there is. I am currently engaged and will be married at the end of April - Sorry ladies! But I would love if you still come to my shows!

Accoustic, Vol.1 is currently available for free download via Noise Trade. In addition to that, you can watch our favourite video from Villafan's YouTube collection...