We’re beyond excited to have the incredible Elijah Woods & Jamie Fine joining our 2020 On The Rise roster! This Canadian duo sat down with us to chat new music, songwriting, quarantine, and more! Check out our conversation below!!
Can you share with us how you guys began your musical journey?
We both grew up in very musical families. Our dads both played instruments our whole lives and that kind of formed this organic musical bone in both of us from an early age. We’ve both agreed that music feels like the thing we are born to do!
How did ExJ come to life? Do you both have similar musical inspirations and styles?
We had been making music with various other people but when we met, it created energy we both hadn’t felt before. It was an instant creative connection and it seemed effortless writing/producing music together. It wasn’t something we thought too hard about – we just woke up after 5 years and realized we had written some of our favourite music together.
It wasn’t so much that we had the same musical styles but that we were able to take our different styles and create something that we felt was exponentially better.
What does your typical songwriting session look like?
Songwriting varies for us. Some days we sit down and piece together a whole song. Other days, I’m a little more emotional and need to get a story out and Elijah is there to help nurture how that story is told. We don’t put too much pressure on ourselves for the process and that’s usually how the best product comes out.
We love your new single “want you back”!! What did your process look like for creating that, from its inception to its release?!
Glad you’re liking the song! We were so excited to get this one out! We were on tour with “WE Day” and were told that in the last chorus of our last song, they were going to shoot off confetti and C02. We didn’t think much of it until that moment came when everything shot off and it honestly just felt like a million bucks. We felt like friggin’ Beyonce – aha. It’s one of those moments that kind of stops time and makes you so certain that it’s exactly where you’re supposed to be. On the plane ride home, Elijah wanted to re-create that feeling in a song, so he wrote a rough production for Want You Back. I went to his place a few days later and pieced together the vocal for it! It felt really good to write and had so much energy in it – we couldn’t wait to share it with everyone!
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNW8SU8SpsU&w=854&h=480]
What has been the favorite part of producing your own records? do you guys ever butt heads on creative elements?
It feels amazing to start a song, work on it together, listen to the finished product, and know that it was done entirely (99% of the time) between the two of us. If ever we butt heads on the creative side, we typically try out both directions! If we can’t agree on either version, we put the song aside for a while. Sometimes we come back to it and other times we use pieces of it to create new songs!
Speaking of creative elements, as a duo do you guys enjoy taking part in photoshoots, cover art, stage design, etc. Do you find that you have an aesthetic?
All of the secondary elements of being an artist were a little bit of a surprise! It’s not something you really think about until your schedule is filled with photoshoots, marketing meetings, etc. You think you’re just going to make music and perform it, then forget that there’s an entire other aspect of being an artist. It can definitely be a lot of fun! We’ve got the chance to work with some pretty amazing, talented people!
I think Elijah and I just try to be authentic to who we are and that’s our aesthetic. We’re kind of unforgivably ‘us’ and I think people pick up on that quickly.
What has it been like to have such incredible reception your records?! Did you guys ever expect your music to blow up as much as it has?
We try not to set outrageous expectations for ourselves but definitely have our goals! Our hope was always that we would have people connect to our music in a unique way and we think we’re definitely achieving that so far! As long as we’re having fun and the people listening to music continue to enjoy it, it’s all we need to keep feeding our creativity.
As a duo, have there been any struggles you’ve faced that have ever discouraged you from your music?
There are constant struggles being an artist! The ups and downs can be absolutely brutal and as Taylor Swift said in her latest documentary, we kind of live a life where we are constantly looking for the ‘applause’. When we don’t get it, we wonder if we’re doing something wrong. It’s kind of a constant battle between following your gut or following what others are pushing you to do. It definitely forces you to push hard to stay true to who you are and stick to a direction that feels right.
If you could have written or produced one record what would it be and why?!
We’re both obsessed with ‘If The World Was Ending’ by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels. That song is so well written, from melodies to lyrical content. ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith is another big one for us. It’s iconic for so many reasons and we actually perform a version of it in our live set.
During these unprecedented times, how are you guys holding up? Do you have any advice for musicians who are struggling right now?
It’s a difficult time for sure. I don’t think it’s anything any of us saw coming or knew how to prepare for. One thing we’re trying to do is alleviate any pressure on ourselves. Some days we wake up and feel like being creative – others we just want to binge watch Netflix. I think the best advice we can give is to not put pressure on yourself as an artist! Creativity will come and if it doesn’t – that’s okay. Artists express themselves often through experiences so try to experience new things, even though it may seem difficult to do right now.
Lastly! What are you looking forward to most after quarantine?! we hope you’re staying safe and healthy!!
We’re both itching to get back on stage! It’s how we connect with our fans the most and a huge outlet for us as well. Not sure when it will be, but performing will be one of the first things we do as a band!
Connect with ExJ: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, & Spotify
