|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

Sometimes an artist will fall into your lap when you are least expecting it. This is the case with my next interview. Inspiration in life is sometimes hard to come by, especially in today's society. However, there is always that one artist or even person that can make you sit back and realize just how amazing life can be. An inspiration come is all shapes, sizes and forms and Justin Hines is one of those true inspirations that life, no matter what, is worth the sacrifice and everything that comes along with it.

Take your time and ready the interview, and explore this incredibly talented man and his music that can reach right into your soul and make you smile from head to toe. Ladies and Boys, I bring you Justin Hines.

"I still tried to record something meaningful and that people could take something from emotionally rather than it just being kind of ear candy in the background" - Justin Hines

First of all, for our readers who don't know, can you tell us who you are?

Alright, I can do that. My name is Justin Hines and I am a singer/songwriter.

Now what exactly inspired you to get into music?

Well to be honest, I don't really remember doing anything else. So apparently as a little kid I was singing and making noise and kind of wanting to go down this road, so ya. I would like to tell you what first inspired me but it was probably out of my conscious memory at this point.

So the minute you were born it was all about music?

Pretty much, I grew up in a musical household, my mom and dad are both big music fans and they sang and played, then we have my grandmother, she lives with us so it was kind of in the house. I couldn't really escape it even if I tried.

Well that's good, it's always good to have music in your life.

I agree.

Is there one major influence out there that you would say greatly impacts you?

You mean musically or?

Ya, musically or just in your life in general.

Well musically I am a big fan of singer/songwriters that came long before me so, people like James Taylor and Cat Stevens and Jim Croce. In terms of life in general, I don't know I kind of have this theory that everywhere you turn life can provide inspiration, so it's hard to pick one deciding moment or person, it's just everywhere so it kind of makes life pretty meaningful.

Ya, I take inspiration from everyone in my life.

That's cool, ya.

I actually noticed that you were in the Ontario Travel ads that are on television, now how did you come to get involved in those?

You know that's a very good question, they had actually approached us to do a demo for them, I guess just over a year ago now, and we ended up doing a few of them and finally the third time around it got picked for the television ad as well. So it was pretty cool actually because the timing of it was perfect because it launched sort of right at the same time as my new album so we couldn't have asked for a better promotion. Ya, pretty cool.

That's awesome. Now I noticed with your first album Sides, you decided to just throw away all those trends and just do your music, and I have to say it paid off beautifully.

Thank you.

No problem, was that your same mantra for when you did Chasing Silver?

It's weird because they were both very different times in my life. When I did Sides, first recorded the original version of Sides I was an independent artist and I sort of did the whole thing very independently and I got signed because of Sides and so it's strange, in terms of the mentality you know the goals for the record, it kind of stayed the same even though so much changed in my life between records. It was cool because recording Chasing Silver was more of a chaotic time in my life and there was so much more going on but yet I still tried to record something meaningful and that people could take something from emotionally rather than it just being kind of ear candy in the background ya know?

Ya, well that kind of leads into my next question. Because I have been listening to the new album a lot lately and there is one song that kind of really stands out to me, and that's Courage.Especially the lyric "I'm gonna face the dark tonight, gonna tell them I'm on the rise", because there are so many people that lyric can mean so much to and they can take different meanings from. Is there anything specific you can tell me about that song?

Um, it was kind of a liberating song for me. I think it was a song I had wrote in response to I guess, just dealing with my new realities in life. My world has changed so much in the last couple of years and you know, I was kind of just looking for the courage to face it with dignity and grace and all that kind of stuff so. That song kind of felt like a turning point for me in my life, I was getting ready to face the next chapter.

Well it's really an amazing song, I enjoy it a lot.

Thank you very much, that's very kind.

Now going with that song is there one song off either album that you would say impacts you the most, or one that's just your favourite all around?

Um, that's a very good question, it's a tough question to answer because every song has its own sort of journey and story, and you know, I remember every one of them and they all have a special place and time in my life. You know I try not to listen to myself too much, but you know, appreciate it down the road, you know, even long after the recording process. I mean there are lots of songs that have different meanings to me, like the ones I wrote about my family or you know, loved ones or whatever. Just the important songs in my life so it's hard to pick any one tune.

Your lyrics are very emotional and heartfelt, is that your goal when you write all of your songs?

I think so, I don't necessarily sit down and say, ok, I want to write a meaningful song, I just try to bring myself to a place of honesty and sincerity when writing and I think because of that perhaps something a little personal sort of comes out. But you know, I guess at the end of the day when all is said and done that people are listening to something, I don't know if they would feel something, rather than you know just sort of being something you know, oh that's nice, or just something that they listen to while vacuuming. You know, get something that they can apply to their lives.

I've been talking to a few people about you since I heard about you a couple of months ago and they all said the same thing, that you're a great inspiration to a lot of people, especially with your outlook on life. How does it feel to have people look up to you? Be inspired by you as a person?

Its a tremendous honour because, I mean to be honest I'm not necessarily on any kind of crusade to change the world or to you know, I'm just doing what I love to do and trying to do it with positivity and honesty and if people respond to that or see me in a positive light then that's a massive honour. I think the minute I start thinking of myself as a role model or an inspiration then I probably will have lost you know, I don't really buy into the hype and necessarily want that for my life. I just want to connect with people.

Awesome. Now you have the Justin Hines foundation. Can you tell us the purpose of the foundation and how it came to be?

Well you know, somebody asked me a couple of years ago, things started to get crazy for me, if I were to do a charitable thing, what would my goals be and what cause would I want to support and, you know I really thought about it and its hard for me to pick necessarily any one cause. I think the world in general, I mean we could all use a hand right, like every one of us. So I kind of wanted to have an organization that just covered a lot of ground and reached a lot of people, and anybody that wanted to work with us in a win/win situation I think it's really important to ask people what their specific needs are and sort of, you know not somebody dictating to them and telling them what they need. You know actually listening to the people that need something, so I think my goal now and will always be to work with all kinds of different people in ways that best suits them.

Which I believe is a problem today, because people don't listen.

Ya sure, it's funny because we think we kind of know what people want or what they need in life and we kind of dictate to them, but if we're really listening sometimes the answers are a lot different than that.

And it's a lot easier to help when you listen.

I agree, I totally agree.

Exactly. There are a lot of people in the music industry that are struggling just to get one song out. Is there one piece of advice that you would offer to them?

That's an interesting question. I think, from my journey, I can only speak from my path, the minute I sort of stop kind of trying to be anything and I just sort of accepted what my love for music was about and my influences and all that kind of thing and just really embraced that and really went for that, that's when things really started to happen for me. And I think that can be an interesting metaphor for life, the minute we stop trying to be and just kind of be whoever we are, that's when the real doors start to open. You know my advice to musicians is to just follow that and be courageous and that and know that being true to whatever it is they need to be true to will take them a long way. So that's kind of my outlook.

Awesome. Now there are five of us at The Sound Faction and we're five of the most random people you are probably ever going to come across.

I LOVE THAT!

We're all five very different girls.

I love that, that's awesome.

Our one goal is to bring music to everybody.

That's a good goal! It sounds like an accomplishment so I wish you the best.

So far, ya, we're doing pretty well.

That's wicked.

Now we try to end each interview with five really random questions.

Love it!

So are you up for that?

I'm up for it! Go for it.

Awesome. First question, if you could smell like a scented candle what would you smell like?

AH GOOD ONE! VANILLA! I love vanilla!

Awesome. Now the first album you ever purchased?

Ah, really? You're gonna make me tell you that. Ya, it was, oh crap. Ok, well you have to define album, are you saying CD?

I can tell you that, I don't actually remember the first album I bought but the first CD I bought was Boys to Men!

Oh, nice... haha

Ya, and I think it was album two, ya.

My first CD that I ever bought, well actually my mom bought it for me so technically I didn't buy it but it was Color Me Bad.

YA! Nice. I like how you put a disclaimer on that, I didn't technically buy it, it was bought for me.

Well I didn't buy it, my mom bought it for me. I didn't say I didn't want it but you know...haha

Haha, ya, it was a birthday present, haha.

Now if there was any song that you wish you could have written what would it be and why?

Um, good question, I would say Fire and Rain by James Taylor. I think because when I found out the story, and it's kind of a tragic story, and I thought he wrote about it in such a beautiful, beautiful, respectful way and I just love that. And the same with the songs by Don McLean, two tragic conflicts written in the most profound and understanding way.

Nice. Ok now if you were a Care Bear what would be the picture on your tummy.

Haha, these are great. Well its funny you mention Care Bear, my very first stuffed animal was a Care Bear. My dad bought one for me when I was in the hospital actually so I have a lot of passion for the Care Bears. Um, so the question, what's the picture on my tummy?

What would be the picture on your tummy?

Alright, we'll go with a music note and a rainbow because there's a lot of rainbows in my world right now and of course music is an obvious one, let's go with that.

Nice. Now last one, if you could bring any fictional character to life who would it be and why?

Forrest Gump.

Forrest Gump?

Ya, I think, I don't know every time I see that movie I kind of wish, well I know a lot of people think like that, there's such an innocence and beauty on his outlook on life and I think he sees love in its purest form.

Which is what's missing today.

I think so ya know. Ya, I really do. I think I would have to go with Forrest Gump.

Well that's basically it. Now are you planning on doing any shows or?

Ya, we have some shows coming up at the end of the month, some festivals and what not, we're playing in the Distillery and a couple of other festivals that I can't think of right off the top of my head, and we're touring in the fall I believe.

Huge thank you to Justin Hines for taking a bit out of his busy schedule to chat with us! If you'd like to hear Justin Hines' music, drop by his MySpace Page or his Homepage!