CJ Temple – Smoke

By starrymag | January 4, 2022

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I used to always describe it simply as “rainy day music,” but sometime last year someone asked me this same question and “ethereal bedroom pop” was what came out, so I just stick with that!

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I’m honestly influenced more by individual songs than specific artists, mostly because I have insane ADHD that doesn’t really allow me to settle, but also because my music taste is pretty broad. If I had to choose a few though, I’d have to say London Grammar, Christine and the Queens, Lorde, Florence and The Machine and the list goes on.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Smoke.”

A) “Smoke” was written at a time in my life when I was coming out of a really deep depression. It felt like I could breathe again for the first time in a long time, and after spending so many years writing songs fueled by pain, I finally felt inspired by happiness. It took me minutes to write it, and it’s one of my favorites on the album. For me, it’s a reminder that there is hope, and I want it to be that for others as well.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) Everyone has had to go through their own dark times, and I think they connect to that feeling when the weight starts to lift, and the light shows up at the end of the tunnel. I think it might give words to some who can’t quite explain how it feels for them, so I just think it’s relatable for a lot of people.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The video is filled with nostalgic elements that represent the comforts I cling to in hard times. Aesthetically, the video feels really dreamy and beautiful, but it also feels rather melancholy and that symbolizes the masks I wear in order to make it through the day, even when there’s so much more going on beneath the surface. And then there’s this foggy element to it, which of course is the “smoke,” but also symbolizes this sort of hazy feeling that hangs around during times of depression that makes it feel like I’m walking in a dream. So, I think we captured a feeling rather than a story, which is exactly what I wanted for both the song and the video.

Q) You have such an empathetic approach to songwriting. What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) It varies, to be honest. Sometimes I’ll hear music in my head, and I’ll start humming out the melody and then lyrics just kind of fall out of me. From there, I’ll figure out how to put music to it. Then, other times I’ll think of lyrics first and then have to find the melody and so on. But some of my favorites were written because I plunked out a few notes on a piano or guitar, found the melody in the mix of the notes and then the words would come pretty immediately. Both singles I have out currently were written that way, actually, and they took me about five to ten minutes to write. So, the process changes. But 100% of the time, I can’t write anything if I’m not emotionally available or if I don’t have a connection to the message in some way. There’s just an insane mental block when I try. I’ve written songs before that took several years to finish because I had an idea but felt no connection to it until sometime later. So, the process is definitely very personal and can be extremely emotional for me at times, so I can’t quite churn out songs one after the other constantly, but I prefer quality over quantity anyway, so it works out.

Q) What are some themes you will be exploring on your upcoming album Smoke?

A) This album is a collection of songs that I wrote between the ages of eighteen years old and thirty-three years old, so it’s really the story of my young adult life. There are songs about love, heartbreak, depression, feeling lost and alone, but there’s also a lot of self-discovery and hope as well.

Q) Josh Kaler lent a hand with production on your upcoming album, but how much of a say do you have in the production of your music?

A) Well, firstly, Josh was just an absolute dream to work with. This was my first album, my first experience in a studio and with a producer, so I was really nervous. But within minutes in the studio with Josh, I felt safe enough to express my thoughts and ideas, and I felt respected and like my input was valued. I always felt like I had the final say. There were definitely several times when we would question each other’s choices and a few times we both would be a bit stubborn about certain things, but I never felt silenced or like it wasn’t my album anymore. And I don’t think I could have asked for a better first experience.

Q) What tracks on Smoke hold a special place in your heart and what makes them so significant to you?

A) I still get emotional listening to “Smoke,” “Lost,” “How Long” and “Take Me Where You Go,” but honestly every single song holds a special place. Though, I think most musicians would say something similar about their own music.

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

A) Really, I just want people to have permission to feel their feelings. The songs I write are about life experiences we have all had and I know for me sometimes it takes sitting alone crying to a sad song to make me feel a little better. So, I’d like to provide that space to others. I also would like for people to have a better understanding of me as a person, honestly. People know me on social media and that’s certainly one facet of my personality, but there’s a lot more to me that I have a hard time expressing on a day-to-day basis and maybe people can relate to me and feel seen just by listening to these songs.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I have actually not yet performed one of my songs in public before, so I don’t have a list of places quite yet. I definitely daydream about hearing a stadium full of people singing my songs with me, but I also just would love to look out and see people singing my songs anywhere at all. I look forward to when I’ll be able to answer this question for real though.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) The first band that always pops into my head is London Grammar! I can’t think of any other band/artist I’d want to make music with more than them since discovering their music years ago.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) Currently, I’m on a Novo Amor kick and I probably couldn’t accurately put into words how this music makes me feel, but it feels like it speaks directly to my soul. Not even so much the lyrics, though they are absolutely beautiful as well, but the music and melodies/harmonies themselves always seem to hit me emotionally in ways most other music can’t.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media is the entire reason I was able to get this album produced/recorded, so it is extremely important to have it to connect with everyone. It can be pretty tough at times, I do struggle with my mental health, and I get burnt out on social media pretty easily, so it can be hard to keep up with posting. But so many people who have supported my journey from the beginning continue to do so despite my struggles, and they all found me on social media. So, I will forever be grateful for the opportunities and people that have found me because of it.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) There’s so much I want to say, but mainly I cannot thank you enough or express in a way that would do any justice to the love and appreciation I feel for you. You have changed my life and I can only hope that whatever I do from here on out makes you proud!!

 

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