Singer-songwriter and label CEO Jacc Zalez, aka James Gonzalez, recently released his new single, “Night Owl,” following on the heels of “With Every Sunrise.”
Talking about his music, Zalez says, “While there is an abundance of music available, the music I create serves a purpose that I consider indispensable in these tumultuous times – it contributes to expanding the dialogue. Through my art, I aim to transcend the boundaries and create a space for meaningful conversations.”
Zalez spent his early years in the Dominican Republic, with intermittent between The Bronx and the Dominican Republic to escape an abusive stepfather. Eventually, he found a home in New Jersey.
To break out of the cycle of poverty, Zalez enrolled in college, where he studied Architectural Design. Today, Zalez holds a prestigious position at a world-renowned Architectural & Engineering design firm, specializing in Building Information Modeling, Design, and Management.
Yet throughout his journey, Zalez never let go of his passion for music, which his family instilled in him. Both his mother and father were avid music aficionados. Between the two of them, Zalez was exposed to Spanish and Latino artists, as well as classical, rap, and R&B.
CelebMix spoke with Jacc Zalez to find out more about why he makes music, the inspiration for “Night Owl,” and his writing process.
What three things can’t you live without?
God, family, and pizza.
Why do you make music?
I find it cathartic. I’m not much of a talker, so it helps me vent. I’ve also always been drawn to the arts and different modes of creativity. This is another outlet for that artistic drive. It puts me in the role of a creator, and not simply just a doer or a consumer. So, it makes me feel as if I’m contributing to the overall human experience for ages to come.
What inspired your latest single, “Night Owl?”
Hard work and perseverance. Not allowing external pressures to keep you down or internal doubts to hold you back. I’m mainly a night person and do most of my writing after hours. That’s when I have the quiet and the space to experiment. That’s where the title ‘Night Owl’ came from. Making the time for self-improvement, even if it’s at night.
Walk us through your mindset as you entered the studio to record the single.
Nervous. I have the jitters as I’m walking into the studio, letting the engineer know what I’m fixing to do, doing the sound check, finding my center, and recording a dry run for reference. But as soon as it’s ‘go’ time, the nervousness melts away, and I’m totally in the zone like I’m captaining the Starship Enterprise, boldly going where no man has gone before.
Which artists/musicians influenced your sound?
I have consumed a voluminous amount of music in my lifetime, and I believe that everything I’ve come in contact with has, in some way, contributed to the artist I am today. Some time ago, I was recording at a studio, and the engineer told me that I reminded him of MF DOOM, while others have said I’m pretty unique. If I had to name names, off the top of my mind, it would be Wu-Tang, Gang Starr, and Kanye West.
Did your sound develop naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
The start of anything is never easy. There is a lot of pushing yourself and trying different things to see what best works for you. Mistakes will be made, and that’s fine. You eventually find your stride, and things begin to naturally fall into place. But let me tell you, if you stay in that place long enough, you eventually fall into a rut and get stuck. It’s always good to push yourself occasionally in a new direction, try new rhythms, new sounds, and new topics. Keep it fun. If we all just did what naturally comes to us, there wouldn’t be anything special about it.
What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, TV, or other media?
Inspiration comes from many sources, that’s why my attention to detail is constantly on. I see writing music as an expression of life. One must live and experience and learn how to expand one’s mind to give imagination room to grow so that you, as an artist, can make an intellectual and emotional connection with the listener in a fun and novel way. Because ultimately, that is what I think it comes down to – making a connection. We long to seek out others who are like us, who understand us, people we can see ourselves in. To know what makes them tick, to learn how they overcome, hoping to gain some insight into ourselves to help us face and overcome our own challenges.
What can you share about your writing process?
There isn’t one exact process. Sometimes a melody comes to mind first, a pattern I jot down, or a theme I think up, and then I’ll rifle through my vernacular to find words to thematically dress that expression. Other times, I just freestyle, and a bar will form, and then I’ll add to that until I have a rough draft that I can revisit and better shape, define, and detail later. Mostly, I come up with the words first, but lately, I’ve been working on reversing that trend and coming up with the beat first, then the words. I’ve done it that way in times past, but I spend so much time away from my music equipment because of my day job that I’m forced to first come up with the subject matter and then the beat.
Which artists in your opinion are killing it right now?
There are so many artists killing it right now—independently at that, too—that it’s hard for me to name-drop. However, since you ask, one name comes to mind: Russ. He’s really doing his thing independently, and he likes to keep his ear to the street, so he’s recorded with other unknown but talented acts, too. Also, Russ used to live not far from where I live in New Jersey, so that helps keep hope alive for me.
How do you define success?
That is a very fluid word—success. Everyone has their own definition and measurement for what it is. Success is always evolving and growing from one goal to the next. It can be an insatiable appetite. However, I don’t think one can even begin to experience success without first letting go of their fear of failure and not allowing rejection to hold them back. I say that because in this industry, as in life, there is a lot of rejection and plenty of opportunity to feel like a failure. I think if you can overcome those two hurdles, then you’re well on your way to finding success.
Over the last few years, how have you changed as a person and as an artist?
I’ve changed in a lot of ways over the last few years. I’m not just writing and producing but running my own label. I’ve grown into the role of CEO and administrator. I’ve taken myself more seriously in this endeavor and really pushed my limits, especially being more of a public persona. I’ve come to terms with being more visible and letting others view my world a little, content with the fact that I don’t need to be signed to a major label to put out music and be heard. And making some money while I’m at it doesn’t hurt either. After all, this is the music business.