☆ Q&A with JASON PINK ☆
- Ale <3
- Oct 21, 2024
- 7 min read
JASON PINK on the power of performance, evolving as an artist, and exploring new sounds.
All photos shot and edited by Martha Moreno (@marthaa.22)
Meet JASON PINK, an artist from Holtville, California, who embraces every phase of their musical journey, no matter how unexpected. Raised on everything from Johnny Cash to 90s boom bap and Big Time Rush, Jason’s eclectic influences have shaped a uniquely personal sound. Their music reflects a deep love for genre-blending, with artists like Tyler, the Creator and Prince as major touchpoints for their creative process.
Whether it’s the timeless funk of Purple Rain or the innovative production of Arca, Jason’s passion for pushing boundaries is clear. At the heart of their music lies a diverse blend of influences, from their favorite artists to their experiences growing up in Southern California.
I first encountered Jason at the Dream Center's fashion show, where their captivating performance left a lasting impression. In our conversation, Jason discusses the phases that shaped their artistry, the evolution of their writing and production, and where they’d want to move for three months. Check out the full Q&A below, along with exclusive shots from our photoshoot!
Ale: Hey!! How are you right now?
Jason Pink: Good, I’m in San Diego right now just hanging out at an AirBnB in Pacific Beach. Every summer, my family usually comes here towards the end of July.
Ale: That sounds really nice. So tell me a bit about yourself, where you’re from, and what you’re into at the moment!
Jason Pink: My name is Jace, I’m an artist from Holtville, Ca. I’m really into music of course, but I generally have a passion for anything/anyone that can make me obsess over it. I’m an obsessive person. I also have a dog named Pongo, he’s a Dalmatian. My current obsession is sci-fi movies.
Ale: I can definitely relate to being obsessed with music! What was your first experience with it?
Jason Pink: Since I was a kid, my whole family has been really into music — just really big fans of it. I also have some family members that are musicians. I remember when I was six, I had this cousin named Ty who was in this pop punk band named “Forfit”. I would kinda just follow him around, because I thought it was the coolest thing ever. He had a recording studio in his house, and he invited me and my older brother who’s a drummer. I wanted to record music, but I had no experience as a six year old [laughs]. My cousin was like “Alright, I’m just gonna start playing guitar and you just start singing whatever.” Within a night, I think we recorded like six songs, and they were all super funny. That was my first experience, but my entire life it has been on and off.
Ale: Do you still have any of those early recordings?
Jason Pink: For the longest time, I had them on my grandma’s desktop. When I was fifteen, I remember listening to them and thinking that I should probably record them on my phone just to have them. I only kept two. One song was “Leaving Calexico” and another was “Baseball Time”. The first one was literally just about how my mom had taken me to the swap meet that day, and I had an image in my head of me looking out of the window as we left. The second one was about my tee ball team and the Dodgers. It was like the simplest lyrics ever. There’s another called “Let’s Rock” that’s supposed to be the banger [laughs]. Also one about Jimmy Neutron. It was an episode where they go to Egypt and have a run in with mummies I think. The little EP ended with my brother, Jade, doing a drum solo. We called ourselves “Clock of Rock”.
Ale: What impact did the Dream Center fashion show have on you? Was there a moment when you realized you needed to keep making music?
Jason Pink: All of my life, my heart has been in performing. Previous to the fashion show, I had only performed in front of a crowd twice. I did two open mic events in 2019. I was just rapping over instrumentals, and they did not go very well. The first one, my voice was cracking, and I did not sound very good. The second one, I was halfway through my verse and my voice was just gone. I went to the mic, and nothing came out. It was discouraging, but I got over it. When it came to the fashion show this year, I had a lot of new songs that I was very passionate about. I was like “Okay this is my chance to prove to people that this is what I am meant to be doing.” The Dream Center itself is such a safe space for artists. When I got there, I was so nervous. At rehearsals though, I got the confidence when I held the microphone. I felt so reassured that performing is what I am meant to do. Getting to experience live music and having a sense of community just revived my passion.
Ale: So, how did you prepare for that performance?
Jason Pink: Every summer, my family goes to Bakersfield, and so that week I was by myself at home. I spent the entire time in my living room practicing the songs over and over again. Leading up to that performance, I was practicing so much.
Ale: That’s amazing! How do you feel your sound has evolved over time, from your EP to your recent singles?
Jason Pink: When I went to San Diego State, I found out they had this thing called Backdoor Studio, which is like a recording studio with all these resources available for students, so I was like, “I’m going to take advantage of that.” I learned how to record on Logic Pro X and made a couple of songs, just rapping over instrumentals. After that year, I stopped going to school and was kind of at a point where I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I really liked this music stuff and wanted to dig deeper, so I worked all summer and saved up my money. I bought my first DAW, which was Logic Pro X. Basically, all the stuff I learned how to do at SDSU, I wanted to learn how to do on my own. 2019 was a big transitional year for me, so leading up to making the Wonderboy EP, there were a lot of things I was going through. I was trying to make it as original as I could. It was just me trying to get my foot in the door with music. When I listen to that now, I’m more focused on the way I was writing, just because the instrumentals weren’t mine. This last 4-track EP was just songs that I wanted to put out. There wasn’t much of a plan. Comparing those two projects, I feel like a big part of it was me learning how to produce, which made everything sound more like me.
Ale: That’s really interesting. Do you feel like learning to produce allowed you to express yourself in a different way?
Jason Pink: Yeah, something big I learned was to be original and make stuff that no one else but me can make. I want to try to be myself as much as possible. Growing up, I had trouble expressing my true, genuine self. The Wonderboy EP was cool, but I feel like it showed only a tenth of who I was. The System Overload stuff is 100% all me. I still have more of myself to dive into and express, and I’ve only scratched the surface. The choices I make now musically are genuine to what I like, how I feel about music, life in general, and just more honest.
Ale: When I heard your music, I thought a bit about Cuco! What would you say are your musical influences?
Jason Pink: Besides Tyler, the Creator and nu-metal bands, I feel like I had a phase with everything. I grew up liking Johnny Cash. My uncle got me a Gnarls Barkley CD when I was seven, so I was really into that. I had a huge Big Time Rush phase, and they’re a big inspiration for me. Also, Nas and Grand Puba. When I was in high school, my writing was inspired by a lot of 90s boom bap and as I got older I got into artists like Blood Orange. Within the last few years, I really got into Prince. I feel like I’ve had a phase with everything, and there is way more that I have not said [laughs]. I’m really into Arca and Sophie right now. I love people who take production to a futuristic level.
Ale: For the last few, I love doing little short quick questions. To start off, if you were going on tour, what is one city that must be a stop?
Jason Pink: North Park.
Ale: What’s your favorite childhood meal?
Jason Pink: Carne asada.
Ale: What’s your dream collaboration?
Jason Pink: PinkPantheress.
Ale: Favorite album?
Jason Pink: IGOR by Tyler, the Creator.
Ale: Okay, last one, if you could move and live anywhere for three months where would you go?
Jason Pink: New York.
Stay tuned for more from JASON PINK as they continue to evolve their sound and push musical boundaries! For now, you can catch all of Jason Pink’s tracks on SoundCloud, but stay tuned—new releases are coming soon to all streaming platforms!
Article written by: Alejandra Moreno ( @alejandrmor )
Featuring: Jason Pink ( @jasonpink1999 )
Photos shot and edited by: Martha Moreno ( @marthaa.22 )
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