We recently had the chance to connect with Jordan Levy and have shared our conversation below.
Jordan, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of my day job and my music my main hobby is fitness/sports and I have really been getting back into it fully this year. I grew up playing soccer and basketball and I have been finding time to incorporate that into my life again. I also try to workout at the gym at least four times a week. Whether that be lifting, yoga or even swimming, I find joy in staying active and moving my body. Since being consistent with it I feel so much healthier and get my days off to the right start.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Of course! I am a singer/songwriter and actor based in Los Angeles as well as a freelance music instructor. I believe that what sets me apart from others in the industry is my storytelling. My music is filled with honesty, not only about life but about myself as well. I ask the tough questions and a lot of my upcoming songs are full of introspection. You can get a taste of this from my latest single “Turn My Car Around” where I reflect on my own actions in a relationship and the effects they had on another. I believe this carries over into my acting as well, and I am actively working on bridging that together with my music. I am in the early staging of producing a music video for an upcoming single and decided to act in it as well. I feel that my music will resonate all the more if my audience can see me living those lyrics out. Although I’ll be playing a character, it comes from a real place, and that’s what I strive to convey through all aspects of my art.
Another thing I love about my career is that I get to work with my friends. I met some of the most talented people I know through college, previous jobs, mutuals, etc and although we take what we do seriously it never truly feels like work. Making music and performing with the people I love is something I get the privilege to do and wouldn’t trade it for any other way.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The stubborn perfectionist in me definitely served its purpose in my early life through school, sports, etc but I’ve realized over the past few years that I can let some of it go. When I was younger I always made sure I got good grades, played a ton of sports, made music, and through all of that I rarely ever asked for help. If my way was going to get me the results I wanted then that’s all that mattered. I will always strive to be amazing at everything I set out to do, but a huge part of my growth personally and professionally was realizing that my way doesn’t always equal the perfect way. For example, my last single “Turn My Car Around” was originally over 4 minutes long. That’s the way I wrote it and I was married to it. Halfway through the recording process my producer Coen out of nowhere said “hey so what if we cut like half the song?” Originally I was taken back and a little hurt because I thought it was perfect the way it was but we tried it and after the first listen I knew he was right and said “yea, cut it.” I had to put aside my ego and realize that objectively the new way was better even though that’s not how I intended it. It wasn’t my way, but it was still perfect.
Another little insight into my perfectionist brain: when I’m recording vocals or really any instrument for a song it’s easy for me to hyper-fixate on tiny mistakes or try to get it exactly how I envisioned it. That can sometimes lead to hundreds of takes of the same 5 second part over and over again (speaking from experience) when a perfectly good one was maybe one of the first ones done. It’s okay to embrace something new and change things along the way. When you try to make everything so perfectly lined up you lose the natural feeling of the music and it starts to sound more robotic and less man-made. I had to learn where to allocate my energy and striving to be perfect in an unhealthy way held me back from seeing amazing aspects of the song that were already right in front of me.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
This is a great question, and I’ve actually been thinking on this for a bit. I think the same fears that push me to do things are actually the same fears that hold me back from accomplishing them. I would say the biggest one is the fear of failure. The thrill of beginning something new is an amazing feeling, and for me I want to put everything I have into a new project. But on the flip side, that thrill is fueled by fear because a new project in turns means high demands and even higher expectations put on myself and my work. Then I’m in the process of pursuing the goal, and that’s the most heightening feeling. You get to tell everyone “this is what I’m working on” or “I’m in the process of creating this” and you feel so productive. That incredible feeling is actually the most scary because I get so caught up in what I’m working on that I never actually finish it. Enjoying the journey is great but I get so held up in it because my fear of failing holds me at a stand still of actually completing the goal.
To put it simply, sometimes the idea of doing something feels better than actually doing it. Living in your head where you control the narrative and are that sense of validation feels more secure than pursuing something in real life with real life consequences and the opinions of others. Would the disappointment of my dreams not turning out to be a reality after I’ve worked so hard for them be worse than not pursuing them at all? Should I let them stay dreams in my head where that vision is safe and protected? That’s why the “working” phase feels so secure. It’s still just my vision and I know that once it’s done it’s no longer in my hands to hold the opinion on that thing and then it’s just out it the world.
I need to take my own advice here, but I believe a big part of overcoming this fear is going to be reshaping the definition of failure. Someone disliking what I’ve made is not failure because the goal was not to have people like it, the goal was to do it. If it’s authentic and true to me it will find its audience regardless. And I may not see that now, but that’s the advice I would give another artist so that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie the entertainment industry tells itself is that a song is bigger than an artist: that someone can ride a high of one single without artist development or any investment in authenticity or longevity of their career. That’s why we see so many up and coming artists being dropped from their labels before even really having the chance to prove themselves. They were signed after one huge hit and were unable to keep that momentum going on their following releases because their teams did not help with marketing and left them to their own devices.
Being able to build on the success of a hit is what turns “that one person who sings that one song” into a household name. As music listeners we are in an era of loving sooo many songs but only a handful of artists, and my hope for the future of this industry is that this changes. I think a large part of this is trends on social media and the push on artists to have a viral moment. I am definitely also a part of this because social media is a tool and if it’s at my disposal I will utilize it, however it shouldn’t be the only thing labels use to market their artists and the only measurement of success in a campaign.
It always feels like everyone is in a rush to capitalize on an opportunity and in turn the following products also feel rushed. Or a moment goes viral on socials and then the song is released and everyone is left like “that’s it?” The music needs to be good first, period. It doesn’t matter how viral one video goes; if the artist does not know who they are or the kind of music they want to make that will show in the song. We need to develop artists in the industry with clear visions of who they want to be and what makes them unique to audiences.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
I’ve been pretty serious throughout the interview so here’s my lighthearted (but still truthful) answer. If you stripped away everything superficial about me, what would still remain would be my passion for new experiences and having fun. Life is hard, and that’s okay as long as you find ways to have fun in between the stress, Having hobbies outside of music has been so good for the balance in my life. I like to read, try new foods and restaurants, dance, and as I mentioned earlier I love fitness. Those things make me me, and show that I’m not defined by just my music and the physical work I create. If I did value myself at just that I don’t think I would be very happy because I would lose all the other amazing aspects of my personality. My possessions are cool and all, but I’d rather have experiences because those are the things I’m going to remember. It can be as simple as hiking with friends or as out there as booking a spontaneous trip on a whim. I’m never going to shy away from things like that because it keeps me having fun.
Contact Info:
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jordan-levy/1097636139
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BES5MxQLNiu3StIvg1YY7?si=RbUBVjYeRD6iQ30frJ04cw
Image Credits
Chris John Photography
Alyssa Valenzuela
Christian Sandoval
