Today, September 20, 2024, sees the release of 'Vices', JJ Wilde's eagerly awaited new album, well received by fans.
An album with a revealing title
Indeed, what else can we expect from 'Vices' than to talk about vices? Vices hidden or confessed, the artist lays them before our eyes, shows them to us and assumes them, expressing her feelings for each of them while making us reflect on our own vices and addictions. It's a danceable, rhythmic and playful album, but it's also one that leads to introspection.
We were able to discover 'Best of Me (part 1)' last May, which was not just a teaser but a first wave of the album, a first look, as the titles are of course part of this new opus.
We could go on and on about the album, but we'll leave it to the singer to tell you all about it as she'd do it way better than us.
So, we're here to talk about your album 'Vices' coming out on September 20th. The name speaks for itself but why did you choose it? Is there a specific reason?
Yeah. The album title, to me, means a lot of different things. For me, this album is a journey of growth and self discovery, and a part of that is combating vices, recognizing vices, and in some senses, allowing some of them, you know, to not let them get the best of you, but to use them to your advantage. And I feel like in life, there's so many different vices. You know, there's drinking, smoking, you know, all of the normal ones. But then there's also when you really kind of pick it apart, you know, social media is a vice for a lot of people. I think a big one for me is comfort, actually. I think it's almost dangerous to be too comfortable at times. You can get into this kind of complacency. You know, once you're very comfortable, it's easy to stay there but nothing grows in the comfort zone. And I want to always be evolving as an artist and a person. And so for me, the title is just kind of representing all of the kind of different struggles and things that have happened in the past two years that. And it's about combating them, but also being okay with them as well. Like, I feel like life is boring without little vices. You know what I mean? Like, it's like you can pick your moments, you know? For me. Going out and partying is fun, and that can be a vice, but it's alright to allow that sometimes. And it's alright to allow certain aspects of your life to take over at times. And it's finding that balance between your vices and not letting them get the best of you, but also, you know, accepting them for who you are, you know?
And why did you choose to talk about all of this, about love and vices in your songs ?
Well, for me, all of my songs come from personal experience, most part of the time. And I went through a really bad breakup. I got dumped the day before a two month tour. Yeah. I mean, honestly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. But at the time, I was crushed, obviously. And, you know, I was on the road for the next two months. You know, reeling from this relationship and questioning myself and losing myself and trying to, you know, trying to persevere and put on a show every night. And that, in itself, was a lot to deal with and a lot to handle. And the time after that was a roller coaster of all of the phases of grief and mourning and questioning yourself. And then there's the reckless phase of going out and, you know, not giving a shit and trying to, like, forget the person. And then there's the introspective healing that happens and growth, and, you know, eventually, you get over that hill and fall in love with yourself again. And this album is that journey for me, is that, you know, kind of roller coaster of finding the parts of myself that I fell in love with and knowing that without this person, I'm still whole. Without this person, you know, I am still me, and, you know, everything that kind of goes into that. So really, it's just an open book to the last, you know, two years of my life.
So it's kind of a basic question, but do you have any influences?
Yeah, I mean, I draw influence from everything. Everybody, my family, my friends, you know, these conversations, traveling, touring, everything kind of seeps its way into my music. I moved to Nashville two years ago, and that was a huge influence on my music in the sense that, you know, I'm around, submersed in this culture of music and this, you know, lifestyle and city. And so I find even the people I was writing with and some of the tones of instruments and guitars and stuff, it's like that kind of seeps its way in. The music that I listen to, obviously, is influencing, but I think a lot of it just comes from my everyday life. It's like dating a writer or musician. You have to be careful because they're going to pick apart stuff and put it in their songs and everything like that. So that's definitely something I do.
The first song that was released, if I'm right, is Arizona. But it seems the new era really started with 'Best of Me'. So was Arizona meant to be the one to open the new era / the new album?
Yeah. For me, that song opening the album is turning a new page. And that road trip was kind of the catalyst to the journey of growth that kind of stemmed from that. So it made sense to start in that place because that's kind of where the idea for this whole album came from, and that was where I started to work through all of the stuff that I'd kind of been hiding and pushing down because I was touring and I didn't want to. I didn't have time to deal with it. And then, I went on an amazing road trip across America. I was writing in Nashville, I was writing in LA, and then I spent a month and a half just driving to different places and kind of driving road trip literally all across America. And it was so freeing. And so that, to me, was, yeah, I wanted to give that first and kind of set that scene.
So the album is half composed of your latest ep, 'Best of Me (part 1)'. What is the part one? Was it meant to be, like, two eps, or was it meant to be an Ep an album?
Yeah, it was kind of just like a teaser of what the album was going to be. The part one was kind of like, this is this, and now we have, like, another half coming. You know what I mean?
And how did it end up in an album? How did you choose the songs that were going to be the trailer and the ones on the album?
It was a lengthy process, but it made sense to me. There was a lot of time that went into deciding what songs are actually going to be on the album. But at the end of the day, I picked the ones that I felt were most genuine to myself and that I felt conveyed the story that I wanted to tell the most. And as far as the part one, part two, there was almost like a good side, bad side vibe to it where I was giving a taste of maybe the lighter, you know, fun stuff and then some of the more real. I mean, it's all relative. But, yeah, there was a little bit of, like, a good side, bad side aspect as well.
I know it's like children, you're not supposed to have one. But do you have a favorite song?
[Laughing] I don't have. I don't think I have one particular favorite because they're all so different, you know, it's like, yeah, you can't pick a favorite kid, but 'Perfect Stranger' to me still hits the hardest when I listen to it. And that one was the most difficult to write, but also the most enjoyable to write because I felt like I was really getting over that aspect of the relationship, and I was finally letting go where I'd been trying to, for a long time. And yeah, it was very cathartic to accept what I was writing because it is reality, and sometimes when you're thrown into shitty situations, you don't really want to accept that it's real and that it's happening. So that's why it was difficult to write but it was very freeing as well, because it was finally, like, putting a nail in the coffin of like, okay, this is the closing of that chapter. I'm ready to move on. And so, yeah, it definitely still invokes a lot of emotion in me when I listen to it, but it's now more of a therapeutic thing than a hurtful thing.
Amazing ! You answered my next question, actually. [Did music help you in a situation.] You're also going on tour. You got some shows in September, but the big run is for October. Are you excited?
Yes. I'm so excited to have the new songs and be able to play the whole album. You know, we've been testing out songs here and there at festivals that we were playing and everything that we did this summer, but I'm really excited to be able to play the album front to back, you know, and add in my older stuff here and there. But just being able to bring a new show to the audience and a new energy, I can't wait to share that with people.
And do you have a message for people, for your fans, something you want to say to them?
I mean, thank you. I still find it kind of surreal, and, like, I'm living a dream when I get to be this far away from my home, you know, in Canada, and I come here and there is a fan base, and that still is, like, surreal to me that the music is reaching that far. So, I mean, I would just say thank you for your support, and it means the world to me that people are accepting my music and loving it, and it's just, you know, it's why I do it.
You can listen to 'Vices' on every streaming plateform !
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