Q&A + Debut: SOBBRS
CATCHY HOOKS & MONSOON - SOBBRS frontman Jesus slowly rises in the Pop and EDM genres with his EDM beats and pop lyrics that can strike a chord in everyone's heart. Born in Mexico, Jesus Acosta takes inspiration from acts such as BANKS and Joni Mitchell, an unlikely pairing that incites SOBBRS creations
Their latest single and music video "Monsoon" shows SOBBRS' knack for catchy hooks and melodies perfect for belting in the car or blasting after a breakup. Read on to learn more about their inspirations and making of the video.
LUNA: For those unfamiliar with you/your music, would you mind introducing yourself?
JESUS: Hi! My name is Jesus. I was born in Mexico and I live in Texas now. I’ve been making music for around a year and a half now and am finding my own voice. I would describe my project SOBBRS as an exploration of human emotion via pop music. I chose the name as a ‘fuck you’ to generations before mine who complain about us being sensitive and emotional like yes, you are right. I am all of that and what about it?
LUNA: How has your background played a role in the style of your music?
JESUS: I've always loved pop music. I grew up in a border town, so I got the best of both worlds. I was listening to all types of genres in Spanish, and also the big music in English that managed to crossover. I guess I always felt an attraction towards pop music because it was foreign and exciting to me as a kid. I’ve recently gone back and I’ve been trying to scratch the surface of Mexican music and how I can adapt elements of it to my own sound. That’s a work in progress.
LUNA: You’ve definitely got a lot of elements to your music, so what do you tell people when they ask what type of music do you make?
JESUS: It’s hard! People always want to box you. If you say pop, they think Katy Perry. If you say electronic, they think crazy, rave EDM. I think my music exists somewhere in the middle, gravitating more towards synth-pop. I’m still playing around with different styles and sounds. There’s so much left for me to explore, but at its core, it will always be pop. There’s something about simplifying a big idea into a catchy, concise tune that will always be an interesting challenge for me.
LUNA: Do you have a go-to set of artist that always give you inspiration or is it always changing? Who have you been listening to lately?
JESUS: I always credit Christine and The Queens as my main inspiration. I think she is the full package and she inspired me to release my music. Before I listened to her music, I never thought a successful musician could have a strong accent and she embraces that and kills it. I hope I get to meet her and thank her for that one day. Sonically and lyrically, I gravitate towards BANKS, Lorde and Joni Mitchell. Lately, I’ve been listening to Rosalia a ton. She inspired me to release my first song in Spanish, which is the b-side to ‘Monsoon’ titled ‘Monzon.’
LUNA: Can you tell us a bit more about the creative process for “Monsoon"? Is there any particular reason you chose this for a single?
JESUS: I wrote ‘Monsoon’ in January of 2018. I was involved in a sticky situation and I found myself out of it, not by choice. It was very eye-opening but also heartbreaking and draining at the same time. I wrote the hook for the song in 5 minutes while crying in my friend’s bathroom during a pre-game and the rest of the song came to me in parts. I remember watching my favorite anime ‘Card Captor Sakura’ in my apartment. The opening sequence of the most recent season shows the two leads intertwined by a red ribbon. I looked up the meaning of the visual and I found that it comes from an ancient myth called “The Red Thread of Fate,” which ties two people that are meant to help or find each other in some way and that inspired the rest of the song. I chose it as a single because it tells a story but it is also energetic and makes me want to dance. I always want to make music that makes people wanna dance but are also a bit sad or nostalgic. I still have to write my “Dancing On My Own.” That is always the blueprint.
LUNA: The video for “Monsoon” is tight! How did that all come about?
JESUS: The director Mitchell and I went to the same college. I have been following him on social media for a while and I’ve always been in love with his creativity and out-of-the-box executions. I reached out to Mitch via DM and sent him the song and a few ideas and the rest is history. He was a dream to work with and I’m so proud of this project!
LUNA: Now that you’ve got a single & video coming out, what’s next for you?
JESUS: I got a couple more singles and videos in the works that I am very excited about and a full length album coming this summer. I’ve been getting more involved in the technical aspects, co-producing my music and co-directing my videos. I’m thrilled to show many different sides of what this project means to me and about who I am as an artist.
