Jam Luckhurst Interview With: JC VILLAFAN

Winner of the LA Music Critic Awards for Best EP of 2012 and then moving on to touring all over Europe including France, Belgium, Norway and Sweden, JC Villafan has become a huge success in the music world. With fan bases from all across, his romantic ballads such as ‘Romance’ he is clearly loved by all! His voice so smooth and beautiful like melting butter on pancakes it’s no wonder he’s followed by thousands on social networking sites and he’s been involved in documentaries too. His new EP is released later on this year so keep your eyes peeled for more of lovely JC Villafan.

JC: Thanks for having me, I really appreciate it!

Jam: Ah it’s no worries, you’re on tour in France now aren’t you? How’s that going?

JC: Yeah it’s nice, I’m getting tired of French people and everything though… Haha, I only said that because there’s a group of French people sitting in the room right now!

Jam: Oh right! Well, you filmed your music video for ‘Sweet Time’ in France and you’re touring there now so do you have a special connection with France?

JC: Well I was featured in a documentary here a few months ago and that was on national TV so France was my first experience with having fans that I didn’t have to necessarily have to play to first to get their interest. Many found out about me via the internet, and for me that was so special because I spend most of my time touring California.

Jam: So have you collected a massive fan base in France now?

JC: I definitely think that it’s building, Lyon and Paris are really evolving for me, I’ve been everywhere here. Whenever I play I get hundreds of people out here and it’s really nice.

Jam: Sounds wicked! Also talking about ‘Sweet Time’ it was nominated by LA Music Critic Awards for Best EP of 2012. How did that feel?

JC: It was so cool. It happened around December time at the end of the year and for me it was really nice because I saw all of the artists that I’ve personally seen or looked up to or known their music from TV.

Jam: I bet it was so surreal!

JC: Yes it was, being put in that same cast of people. This was after my Europe tour and I noticed even when I came back from that my fans from LA tripled for some reason. It was really cool.

Jam: Would you say that’s one of the highlights of your career so far then?

JC: Yes totally, these past 6 months have been a highlight for me.

Jam: How so?

JC: Before I would say I was just digging around playing open mics, and just pretty mild shows and gaining fans here and there and then it wasn’t until I met Charlotte my publicist, that’s when we started going to different countries and realising people were really in to it so I saved up some money and bought a plane ticket.

Jam: Just jetted off and see how it went….?

JC: Yeh exactly, I thought let’s do it and see what happens! I think that opportunity for me to follow my dreams and take a risk as it were! If you don’t take it you’ll never know. I’m glad I decided to do it.

Jam: Would you say your Christian faith has led you to do so well and guided you?

JC: Urm, well I would say my faith has a lot to do with how I see myself as an individual, I guess what I’m really trying to say is that god sees us as beautiful and us as people, and sometimes you don’t see yourself like that and you have to whether you’re religious or not. When you start realising you are really awesome and capable of doing really awesome things it makes you think ‘what is stopping me from following my dreams?’ I’m not pushy at all about my faith but for me, it’s my motivation.

Jam: Well you started to get to grips with music playing in church when you were younger didn’t you? So it’s just like your foundations.

JC: Yeah for me, I’ve never let that part of me slip away. I love that about myself and you know, I know some people who aren’t religious and are amazing people as well so it’s about how you approach life with whatever you have and how you support and respect people. It’s taught me to make the impossible, possible.

Jam: I was listening to a few videos and I loved ‘My Friend’, who influences your songs? Is it your friends, family, strangers?

JC: I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told any other interviewer before. That song ‘My Friend’ is actually inspired by me if you will, it’s myself talking to me. I went through a lot that pushed me to take a jump and I felt I had nothing to lose last year, so that song encourages me to look at the brighter side and that everything is going to be okay. It’s about realising there are people who care and it’s me reminding myself.

Jam: That’s brilliant! You’re so positive, never met anyone like it before!

JC: You have to be, I am going through emotional crap now, I miss my friends, my girlfriend and my family but now I realise this is my time now for my job to influence people.

Jam: Spread the love! Your EP is said to be released in September, are you excited?

JC: I am super excited, because it’s a different take on myself and my song writing. It’s really going to give people a perspective about me, it’s really more honest and positive, I realise that sometimes I do need to be a bit more honest with my song writing. I guess it is a lot more vulnerable side of myself.

Jam: I guess it makes a connection between you and your fans because it lets them into your life and how you really are.

JC: Yeah definitely, I have this one song called ‘Romance’ and I don’t have any break up songs and I have a song called ‘Make You Love Me’ that’s a really intense love song if you will. It’s different things I’m going through whilst I’ve been on tour.

Jam: It’s basically a journal through your journey really isn’t it…?

JC: Yes totally, the way I’ve ordered it is that the song goes along each month until the point where I go home and the last song is called ‘Coming Home To You’ and that’s all about going home to my family and loved ones. It’s going to be different, a live acoustic thing. I don’t know why I keep on playing with my hair I’m sorry!

Jam: Oh it’s alright, just check yourself out…!

JC: No, that’s not what I’m doing!!

Jam: Who would you say your music is inspired by then?

JC: I would say my biggest influence is Elton John for sure, my favourite movie growing up was The Lion King and I watched that over and over again, it’s cheesy but true that’s why my songs are cheesy and romantic! I would watch it all the time and listen to the song and realise all I wanted to do was make music! I used to pay attention to the song rather than the scene! Growing up around my mum she was a house mum and she’s from Mexico so we used to listen to romantic and cheesy Mexican pop ballads, and then artists like Brian McKnight and the first record I ever bought was The Fugees’ ‘The Score’.

Jam: What a tune fest.

JC: Yeah, that whole record itself has really influenced me, and my way of thinking. I love hip-hop even though my music is far from it, I have some songs where I asked some rap artists to rap whilst I was singing which is something I really enjoy because I wish I could rap but I can’t!

Jam: Ah cool. Thank you so much for meeting me as it were.

JC: Likewise, thank you for making it feel like we were having a conversation. You could be my pen pal!

Jam Luckhurst-McCord

@jamluckhurst