Today we’d like to introduce you to Kong.
Hi Kong, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My real name is Justin Joyce and my nickname is KONG. I grew up in a town called Randolph, just south of Boston, MA. I got hooked on music from an early age. I was introduced to a lot of great music through my mother’s eclectic record collection and started singing by imitating my father’s low, booming crooner’s voice as we listened together. I began my journey into playing and creating music with my first music teacher, Lisa Pimentel. By the time I was 17, my ska punk band, 3 Spoon Production, was opening for her all girl punk band, HEIDI at all ages venues in the South Shore of MA. HEIDI had tons of buzz, a great following, got signed by Warner Bros. and moved to Los Angeles. It was a wild thing to see as a kid from a small town, but for the first time, I realized I could follow the footsteps of my mentor and I too could do this as a career.
I developed my next project, an Alt Rock band named Hello Mahalo while studying jazz voice at UMass Dartmouth. We built regional acclaim by entering the WBRU Battle Of The Bands and eventually signed to an indie label. Over the next few years, Hello Mahalo recorded our debut album, performed countless shows and had a single that reached college and some major radio stations in the New England area. As that band came to an end due to personal conflicts between band members and the rock n’ roll lifestyle, I began teaching at my old high school, taking over the role of my mentor, Lisa Pimentel. Around the same time, I began working with fellow Randolph native and future Grammy-nominated writer/producer Louis Bell (Post Malone, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, etc.). It was with Louis that I started expanding my skills and learning how to hone my songwriting across multiple genres. I later reconnected with Lisa and her husband, prominent rock producer Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Seether, etc…). Determined to help me take the next steps in my career, Lisa and Bob brought me out to LA to write and produce an album.
After one great album and another band that just couldn’t stick together, I began creating my first solo project. Bands were too difficult to maintain and I felt like I needed some space to create a more personal vision and story. I honed in on my low vocals and love for alternative, gritty rock n’ roll as well as using more of the various instruments I can play. In my search for an artist name, I recognized that with this new project I had been tapping into my long-forgotten inner child, who had now become a caged beast. I had forgotten what it felt like to make music with that same youthful vigor and reckless abandon. As a kid, I was Nicknamed KONG. by a visual artist who was friends with my first real rock n’ roll band, Stilfro. I realized that this childhood nickname had to be the moniker of my project, as it embodied the essence of what I wanted the project to stand for. I was making music that was truest to myself and with the goal of inspiring others to find and embrace their truth and passion.
Ever since then, I’ve been blessed to tour, make multiple records with various independent labels, write for an array of different films, TV and commercials, as well as most recently, to sign my first publishing deal with Benjamin Groff’s company, Brill Building (Kobalt). Along the way, I met a few of my best friends and business partners including but not limited to: My agent Jared Rampersaud, my manager Sebastien LeTellier and my main collaborator and producer, Ben Epand, to name a few.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This industry is never a smooth road. You think every song you write is going to be a hit from the age of 13 and on. Every band is going to be the next big artist and pretty soon, we’ll be touring the world in a double-decker bus.
But the truth is, it’s hard work and dedication. It takes knowing yourself and being authentic as well as learning to fit in and collaborate with as many artists, musicians, business associates as possible and recognizing the relationships that will stand the test of time and be the team that continues to work diligently for the music.
The hardest thing I’ve had to do is part ways with band members for one reason or another. And the best thing I ever did for myself was learn how to not ever give up, continue working hard and making the best possible music I can.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m mostly known for having a distinct, low, gritty and soulful vocal. I also play multiple instruments including bass, guitar, tenor sax, piano, percussion, etc. My first music teacher, Lisa Pimentel taught me all of these instruments and was the first person to recognize that not only did I have a unique tone, but that I’d have to work on technique if I wanted to become a better singer. That was at the age of 13, and I’m still singing today.
I’m proud of all the work I’ve done and from my first band and on. I am especially excited about this past year’s music including a collaboration with Don Diablo called “Make a Change” and a rocked out, kongified version of Billie Eilishe’s “Bad Guy”, which came out on indie label, We Are: The Guard. I’m also very proud of the songs you haven’t heard yet and will be coming out, guns blazing, in 2022.
One thing that sets me apart is my size. KONG is not just a clever name but a fairly accurate description depicted by the artist Vasco Vaz all those years ago. Despite being a larger human than most, I’m considered to be more of a big friendly giant than a big scary monster. At least, I hope so! I feel special and grateful because of all the people who have believed in me and my music, helping to get it out into the world in one awesome way or another. I want to take this moment to say thank you to all of them. Including you, Voyage LA.
My next show and my first since the pandemic will be February 17th at Bar Lubitsch in Los Angeles, hosted by local tastemaker Grant Owens and WE FOUND NEW MUSIC.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Become a member of the KONGREGATION by following me on socials and wherever you like to stream your music. I love to connect with fans and potential collaborators over DM. I also have my professional contact information listed. Please keep an eye out for new music, shows, tours, and merch drops coming soon.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kongregation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kongregationmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kongsmashmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFux_8wlYhO_NKV9ezsPpsQ
- Other: https://linktr.ee/kongregation
Image Credits
Alma Gabriela Cameron Jordan Desirée Stone Nogen Beck Oliver Banyard Wilder Rush
