Q&A: Intimately Quiet, Miami Artist PJ Aviles Releases Debut Album Anything
SOOTHING LATIN SOUNDS AND GOOD VIBES — is what Miami-based singer-songwriter PJ Aviles is all about. Half-raised by a family of Cuban descent, Aviles grew up surrounded by different genres of music, but jazz and Latin sounds are those that stuck to him the most. Starting from this base, he later incorporated different influences into his music, as well as some Spanish, in honor of his family.
Anything is Aviles’s latest album, and it is as rich in arrangement as you can imagine, without overdoing it. It actually comes out as sensual and intimate, as if he were singing to us in a Tiny Desk acoustic session.
“It's an honor to have you select my album for a feature on the blog,” he told Luna. “It’s been a labor of love to complete this project, and I'm so excited to finally have it released.”
Let’s see how this “labor of love” came out — pun intended. Read our interview with Aviles below.
LUNA: Tell us a bit more about you, PJ.
AVILES: I am a singer-songwriter based in Miami, Florida. I was actually born in Cuba and came here when I was around five. My dad’s side of the family are all musicians, so I grew up around a lot of different genres of music. Specifically a lot of jazz and Latin music. As I got older I fell in love with songwriting, modern production, and incorporating different influences into my sound.
LUNA: How has your music changed in the past few years?
AVILES: I think the biggest change in my music these past years has been the topics I’ve dug into as a songwriter. Things like getting older (“17”), faith ("Holdin’ On to You”), and being in a healthy relationship (“Bien,” which is the first song I wrote in Spanish). These are things that I have not approached before, mainly because some of these topics present themselves with time as you grow up. I think I’ve taken a few more risks as a writer and gotten more personal than I have before.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
AVILES: My musical inspirations change constantly, but I have to always pay homage to those who got me started. Classic bands such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin fired up my desire to be a musician as a kid; people like John Mayer and Paul Simon got me into songwriting and guitar playing, and then a ton of other artists make their way into the picture almost on a daily basis, to this day.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
AVILES: I only released two singles for this album, the tracks “End of the World” and “(I Swear) It Gets Better.” Both of them were born out of the anxiety that came from the pandemic and the lockdowns and being stuck with yourself in your head. They came very naturally to me, and I wanted to send a simple message in both of them that things do get better with time. We actually filmed a live version of those songs recently at Electric Air Studios with a full band.
LUNA: How do you feel about change?
AVILES: I feel like my style is ever-changing. Change is as important to an artist as it is to a human. Morph as much as you can.
LUNA: What inspired Anything, and how did it come to life?
AVILES: Anything is my debut nine-track album. It took three years to make — one of those years was a big pause in music. I got very fatigued and uninspired by the way the music economy works. Clickbait and instant gratification. Creating for the sake of “clicks.” I caught myself falling for that trap. It made me realize that if I was going to make an album, [I just needed] to do it because I love to make music, not necessarily expecting a reward from it. So that’s what this is — it’s doing “anything” just for the sake of loving it.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
AVILES: I write and produce all of my music. However, I worked closely with my friend Andrew Novoa (from the band Shenzi) to mix these songs. It really helps to have a second set of ears after the production process. He also is a phenomenal pianist.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
AVILES: Music is definitely not my main source of income yet — I also work with a design agency.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? If yes, tell us about it.
AVILES: I’ve never been on tour! Definitely a dream. Hopefully to open for an artist I love soon.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
AVILES: I’d love a duet with a female singer that I really admire, like Sara Barielles or Regina Spektor. They’re so good.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
AVILES: Hopefully with a bunch of new listeners who found my album through Luna Collective! And working on more music.
