Photo: DonnyJ
We were fortunate enough to catch up with musician DonnyJ, following the stunning release, ‘$hill‘. Enjoy below!
Hi DonnyJ, Tell us about yourself.
I’m a music artist based in Tampa, FL, originally from India. I came to the States to pursue Music Production & Engineering from Berklee College of Music. I’ve been releasing original music for about 8 years now, entirely self-produced. Besides having a penchant for making music, I’m quite driven to explore the realms of the mind and dig deeper into the realities of life. And I relay my observations about the same on X and Substack.
What is your songwriting process?
There’s no process. I don’t like to limit the inception of an idea. However it comes, I let it flow. A lyric, a melody, a chord, some sound, an image. It could be anything that sparks an idea. I just print and build on it.
Tell us about your excellent latest release, ‘$hill’.
I wrote this song about a year ago. It was sitting on the sidelines while I was chiselling its production, engaged in other priorities of life. But when I got around to recording it, I felt this song needed some thrust as it was too good to pass as a modest product. So, I ended up scouring through my network and was able to secure the attention of Carl Glanville and James Auwarter, both Grammy-winning engineers, who have mixed and mastered this record, respectively. By the time this project ended, I pitched it to music enthusiasts and curators such as yourself and was able to get some traction to help promote this song.
You wrote, recorded and produced ‘$hill’ yourself; what was that process like?
Quite standard. Nothing flamboyant. I write all my songs the moment I know what message I’m trying to relay, so the writing part is almost instantaneous. I rarely leave my songs half-written for extended periods. I was marinating on the production since I wasn’t happy with where it was initially, and that’s where most of my energy typically goes. Chiselling away at the sounds and texture of the composition. And the vocal recording part is my favourite and most exhilarating aspect of songwriting. I always look forward to singing on my records since that’s the root of my skillset. But again, I get that done over a couple of days the moment I have the overall composition and arrangement in place.
What draws you to the alternative-pop genre?
I was greatly inspired by The Weeknd, especially when he started out with his dark, ambient, vocal-heavy records. There was no one akin to creating that sort of music at the time. Obviously, as I’ve matured, I’ve created my own niche, which does not adhere to any specific genre or style. I try to be as eccentric as possible with my music. No rules.
We’re excited to hear you are currently working on an EP. Can you tell us any more?
Yes, it is with my longtime friend and colleague, Norman Beatz, from Delhi. Some unfinished songs, some rekindled productions, some rework of released records. That’s what is encapsulated in the EP. This project would be more in line with the commercial standard.
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
Most of my music nowadays is not trying to convey anything. It’s more like an exploration of some of the topics for me. Quite synchronous with my exploratory spirit of life and reality. People who subscribe to my work just resonate with it I guess.
Who are your musical influences?
It was The Weeknd, to begin with. Along the way, I drew from Bruno Mars and Charlie Puth with respect to their vocal abilities. But honestly as I started creating, I was influenced by anything and everything. Classical music, Bollywood, film scores, you name it.
Who are your non-musical influences?
Literally, anything existing in and around me. I was once inspired to write a song after observing a kid rebel against his mother at the coffee shop.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
They‘re sucked into creating content, trying to outpace each other in the race for “making ends meet”. You don’t really find true art anymore.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
I don’t subscribe to hope.
https://www.donnyj.art/
https://x.com/realdonnyj
https://donnyj.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/realdonnyj/
FVMusicBlog March 2025
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Also! Check out the awesome other artists on the ‘Discovered This Week’ Playlist!
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