Meet Justin Arrington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Arrington.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Justin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. (ROLL TIDE). I grew up in a family that was heavily involved in the arts (singing, dancing and acting). My mother is a recording artist and father was a well-accomplished actor/dancer in his college days. So, in the grand scheme of things, I really had no choice in the matter of picking a career… haha It was all genetic. I remember around the age of five, I would watch singers and dancers on tv, and I would try and emulate the way they sang and danced. I just remember having a REAL connection with artist. Almost as if I knew I should be doing the same thing. I remember watching my mother sing in front of thousands, singing on tv, and singing in the studio… So, it ALL inspired me to seek out this thing called music. Around the age of 13, I started singing in church and performing around town in talent showcases and everything. It was a shocker to see people stare while I sang… haha It took a while for me to get used to it. I was VERY shy as a kid. But thank God I broke out of it.

At age 15, I started recording demos in the studio with my mom and her engineer friends. I remember one guy named Ben Massey let me record all summer for free in his studio. It was a challenging summer. Mom was on me HARD… But it all paid off. After high school, I started a group named J.A. & THA PREZ. The group members were just me and my brother Adam. We gained a lot of success and popularity in college. And in 2013, we joined the largest Inspirational tour in America at that time named “The Basement”. We performed in front of thousands weekly in churches and arenas around the U.S. Shortly after joining the tour, we were sought out by world-renown producer/composer Dr. Henry Panion III of Audiostate 55 Entertainment. He’s known for his work with Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and so many other famous musicians. It was an amazing experience. It all felt so unreal. Just seeing the dreams all come together so fast. After singing with the group for a few years. I ventured off into my solo career in pop music. This is when I made my move from Alabama to Los Angeles in 2015.

It was definitely a challenge. It took me a few years to get settled here and learn how to sing, write, and perform pop songs. With not many connections in mainstream music, It felt like I was starting all over again.. I literally started from scratch. I had to get a job to make ends meet and hustle. You have to be a hustler to make it in LA. I had three jobs at one time and still recorded music. I didn’t sleep much when I first moved here. Lol. In 2016, I started working with Grammy award-winning producer Snipe Young with The NINE 22Music Group. I released one song under the label named “Lucid Dream.” I remember leaving work and going straight to the studio everyday. Only getting about 4 hours of sleep a night. In 2018, I went independent. As a growing artist, I was learning who I was as a singer and what I wanted out of my music. Somehow, I got lucky… lol In 2017, I was sought out by two amazing producers in Russia named Bauin and Lost Capital. These guys have produced for Spinnin records, Strange Fruits, and Armada music. Somehow, These talented producers found me online through Instagram. To make a long story short, we recorded several demos, and one song seemed to stick. It was a song named “Sun Goes Down.” Shortly after recording the song, we signed a record deal with Strange Fruits. A record label based in Holland. The dance label released the song in 2018, and the song TOOK OFF. On Spotify alone, we had over 500,000 streams by the fall of 2018. Now the song has OVER 1 million streams worldwide… This shocked me, but I was so thankful for this big break.

After the success of ‘Sun Goes Down,” I was able to partner with Kobalt Music’s Awal. This independent label and distribution company is well known for an independent artist like Lauv, Tom Misch, and Steve Lacy. I was so excited that this company wanted to partner with me and my music. After joining Awal, I released a song named “Hold You Down” in 2019. A chill/mid-tempo pop record.

Currently, I am preparing for the release of a new song named “Circles.” This song will be available on all music download and streaming sites worldwide… This will be the first song to be released off of my first studio album which is set to release Fall 2020 with Awal. I’m so excited…What a journey it has been…

Has it been a smooth road?
As I fore-stated, many of my challenges came from starting literally from scratch. It was such a challenge. To believe when there’s not much happening is a challenge in itself. But I couldn’t stop. Having label deals not workout was heartbreaking, but time showed me that being independent was my route. I’m thankful for all the ups and downs. I’ve learned so much, yet I still feel like I’m just now catching my stride in music. It’s exciting…

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Well, as an artist, I’m known for dancing and singing r&b/pop tunes. Lately, I’ve done more producing and writing. I have so much respect for producers and writers… When it comes to my favorite accomplishments, It’s “Sun Goes Down” reaching over a million of streams… It just takes so much luck to have a song hit like that. I thank God daily for that amazing accomplishment as an independent artist. Also, joining the artist roster at Awal was a blessing. What sets me apart from other artists? I believe that my mixture or pop/dance/r&b is very unique. My voice blends well with those genres. So when I create a song, I try and find a healthy balance between the three genres. It can be difficult at times, but I feel it gives me my own unique lane in music.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
LA… I love this place. I remember visiting when I was 15, and I knew I was going to live here one day. I love the beach, nightlife, and amazing food spots. We have such a diverse selection of food and restaurants here. Roscoes is my spot though. I love my chicken, grits, and lemonade haha. There’s not much that I dislike other than the traffic and crazy California drivers lolll

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.justinarringtonofficial.com/
• Email: jgarrington.ja@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just1narr1ngton/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just1nArr1ngton/?ref=settings
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Just1nArr1ngton

Image Credit:
Photo Credits: John Garcia, Tim Davis, Jessica Latten

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