The JOSH MALILAY Interview
Get to know the 20 year old musician and college student at The University of California Riverside from Orange County, California.
What got you into music? Is your family musical?
My house was always filled with some type of music growing up. My dad used to DJ in high school and college and still does, but he would play almost everything in the house. Same for my sister, Celine too. She learned how to DJ from my dad and also used to play piano. My mom was in choir and that kind of stuff in high school and college.
What artists do you listen to?
I listen to almost every kind of genre of music so it jumps around a lot, but I'd say my top consistent artists/bands are Frank Ocean, John Mayer, Daniel Caesar, The Beatles, D'Angelo, Mac Demarco, Bill Evans, Amy Winehouse, and Rex Orange County. They all just have their own unique flavors with their music, it's so inspiring. I could go back and listen to all their works and it would be like hearing it for the first time.I realize there are so many more that I want to include too, but that list would go on and on.
Who or what do you draw you inspiration from?
I get a lot of inspiration from my own past experiences and moments that I think will happen in the near future. I'm not that good at fully expressing my feelings in conversations with people so music is kind of that gateway for me. I also draw a lot of inspiration from John Mayer and Frank Ocean; John for the guitar musicality, and Frank for the dreamy and experimental melodies.
How would you describe your style?
I'm not sure how to explain it really, but it's kind of just an amalgamation of everything I listen to. There's a mix of R&B, Neo-Soul, Indie Pop, and Jazz in there. '
Can we expect an album or EP in the future?
Definitely. I'm so excited to get working on that in the near future.
What other things are you interested in, besides music?
When I'm not listening to or playing music, I like to go out and try new places to eat with friends, going to the beach, shooting some hoops, going thrifting, or hanging out in LA.
Which song of yours means the most to you? Why?
The song "Odds & Ends" means the most to me because all of the emotion that was put into the song. I was messing around with these chords on the guitar and they illustrated my mood completely at the time. It was also my first ever song, so that was a really awesome feeling creating that one.
Do you produce all of your music?
For the most part, I have produced all of my music except the track "On My Mind", which I co-produced with my good friend, Aaron Menezes. That dude is crazy talented by the way, keep a lookout for his music coming out soon.
Do you plan on turning music into your career?
For now, I'm just riding the wave with my musical endeavors right now. Of course, I love music more than anything because it's a way to express myself in ways that I normally cannot, but I also still have my goal of becoming a medical professional in the future. I mean, if it so happens that music is up my alley, I'll definitely take the chance.
What has been the coolest moment being a musician?
Coolest moment would have to be opening for my friends' Erik, AJ, and Francis's film premiere. A lot of people in the audience knew the lyrics to my songs and were singing along. That in itself was an incredible feeling, to know that a song you made reached people on some kind of level.
What are your goals for the future?
My goals for the near future include starting and finishing that EP and graduating college with that Biology degree.
What is your process like for writing music?
When I write music, I like to think of a specific moment in time when I truly felt something special. Something that kind of resonated with me for a while. Like the first connection I had with a friend, a cute girl, or even a complete stranger. It could be those completely embarrassing moments, those extremely sad moments, or the happy ones. Then I try to find a chord progression on the guitar or piano and just melodize gibberish until I find something I could work with. It's a pretty fun process.
All photos provided by Josh Malilay
Interview date: December 24, 2018
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