If you use Apple Music frequently and listen to the playlist Pure Pop, you’ve definitely listened to the catchy, relatable song, “If We Never Met.” The artist who sings that is John K, an up and coming artist signed with Sony’s Epic Records. From Orlando, FL, John K is well on his way to moving to LA and becoming the next big thing with his new EP If We Never Met, which features the summer jam “Rum n Tequila.” ECHO had the chance to talk with John K about his music and more!
How are you guys doing?
We’re (Rob, Donté and John) doing well. We stacked this trip. We have the music video and planned a bunch of press around it. We were just at Billboard, now we’re here with you and it’s even better, and then we have Live Nation, and then we have Young Hollywood.
You changed your name the slightest from John.K to just John K, why?
Search-ability on Spotify and Apple. I would have to instruct people to go “Yeah it’s John K but John . K, all together. We decided that we’re at the point where it’s early enough to change the name and take the period out so it’s easier for people to search.
When did you get started in music? What was your first instrument you played?
I grew up in a very musical household. I played saxophone in middle school, percussion in high school and I kind of always played piano through out my school days. My dad and grandmother always pushed music. We loved to play music together a lot. I started singing a lot in high school. My grandmother gave me a voice recorder and she told me to make that my best friend. I used to sing into it every day and listen back and that’s how I developed an idea of what I could and could not do.
Congrats on all the success with your first single “If We Never Met.” How does it feel having your first single do so well?
It’s amazing that our first single is amazing, but it’s not something that we didn’t see. We’ve been working on this music for the last four years and we know how good it is, so we’re happy to see that other people thing so too.
What was the songwriting process like?
We had Steph Jones come in. We were almost about to cut a totally different song and half way through it just didn’t feel perfect, so Donte picked up a guitar and started playing different loops, we settled on the one that’s now in “If We Never Met.” Steph and I kept going back and forth and we got the concept and the song was written and two and a half hours.
What does the song mean to you?
It’s the perfect lead because it’s the whole creation process of itself. If I never sang at Rob’s wedding we might have never met. From our perspective, it’s more the creation of the project – all the different arms that are making this song work and what it is, that’s what this song is about too, so that’s a cool full circle/realization moment.
Do you have a favorite song off the EP?
I think the depth and the connection with “If We Never Met” is hard to top for me. I love them all though. I could have made all of them a single. They’re all different and have something special. It’s cool – we wrote “Rum N Tequila” in my backyard. We just went back there and jammed. We made a fire, I was cutting a song, they (Ron and Donte) were outside working on something and they opened the door and said I think we got something.
If you set up a fan in the perfect listening environment for your music, what would it look like?
I think what would work is either a sunrise or sunset looking over Venice Beach vibe – a really relaxed vibe. Maybe even with a little beach fire.
What’s one quote you’ve heard in life that you want to ECHO out to fans?
As cheesy as it is, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. It feels like right now it’s time to go – it’s time to release this music. We’re releasing all the hard work we’ve put in over the last four/five years.