Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph (Jonie) Barrios.
Hi Joseph (Jonie), it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started playing music around middle school age. My parents would drop me off at coffee shop nights in Memphis and I would sing the sad emo songs that I wrote on my acoustic guitar. This led me to playing in punk bands in high school, and I eventually ended up in Nashville where I went to school at Belmont University.
In Nashville, I got humbled pretty quickly by how much talent there was, but it introduced me to some incredible artists that I got to play with on stage such as COIN, Liza Anne, and The Lonely Biscuits. Around 2016, I started experimenting more with electronic music and from there started “Jonie” as a means to learn how to produce. I toured with a few groups in my early 20’s but started working more as a producer and songwriter in the pop realm which eventually led me to LA.
My wife and I landed here in Los Angeles on March 3rd, 2020 – about two weeks before the pandemic. Since then, I’ve been working with artists and bands producing, co-writing, and mixing records (mostly remotely) and even with the weird timing, I’ve loved being a part of the LA music community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth is not a word I would personally use after this past year and a half, but I have been very fortunate with the opportunities I have had. As soon as I got here, I lost my job at a music school and had to scramble to figure out how to make doing music full-time as a freelancer work. Looking back on it, I think that the experience of me having to dive headfirst into production and really sharpen my skills as a musician was an important one.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I put out music under the name Jonie, and most of my work I’d describe as “Cosmic Disco”. My reference point for Jonie is primarily moody dance music that draws from indie, lofi, house, and disco. “Crying in the club” is the mission statement for most Jonie songs.
I also work with artists and songwriters at my studio in the East Hollywood/Silverlake area as a producer and engineer. My goal when I’m creating music for another artist’s project is to translate that artist’s vision into the recording process – both on a technical and emotional level. I tend to work with pop, r&b, and hip hop artists in LA and on projects remotely with artists around the world.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
For me, the experience people have related to music is so important to me. Music is the soundtrack to the biggest moments in our lives, whether it’s a wedding, concert, rave, or a funeral, we turn to music to emotionally narrate our lives. I love being able to be a part of that.
As a producer, the experience people have when making music is equally just as important to me. I like things to be really quick and cozy in my studio so that when the inspiration sparks, we can instantly get it down and feel at home while working.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: jonie.info
- Instagram: instagram.com/jonie_jonie_jonie/
- Facebook: facebook.com/jonietapes
- Twitter: twitter.com/jonietapes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCggRP8IS6nsjYwSzrFaqTvA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jonietapes
- Other: Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/6bjPrfHZMBdpvnIp2LM57u?si=E7Lgh-
Image Credits:
Photos by Xkylar Live photo by Erik Maynard
