What got you interested in music?
Justin Morelli: When I was growing up, my dad was a huge Elvis Presley fan and my mom was a big Stevie Wonder fan, so they would play it around the house when I was a little kid and it gave me the bug, I think. Then, when I started to grow up, I started to listen to them on my own and then started to take it into other music, too.
Which artists or bands have you been influenced by?
There's a bunch, obviously, but I think what's inspired me the most as an artist is probably R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ginuwine; that whole crew.
What's in your playlist now?
There's a lot of stuff. Honestly, I mostly listen to mainstream stuff, so it's The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Drake, Chris Brown; I'm listening to Chris Brown's new album right now 'cause it just came out, I've been going through that. But, it's also mixed in with a lot of old '90s RnB or stuff earlier than that even, and I like to keep them both mixed in so I can keep up with the new but also always refresh myself and listen to the old stuff, too.
Do you have a favorite holiday song?
I actually like Bieber's song "Mistletoe" a lot, when he came out with that a few years ago, but my favorite one is probably the Mariah one. I know that's cliché, but the most recent one is probably the Bieber one but the Mariah is probably my favorite.
How would you describe your sound?
I would say it's like a fusion of RnB and pop. It's similar to those artists who kind of mix the flavor of RnB with the drive of pop music and I think it makes it a really good marriage between the two sounds.
What was the inspiration behind your single, "Ain't Easy"?
The producer that I was working with at the time made a couple tracks for me and that was the first one he played and, when we heard the track in the studio, it kind of had that feel good vibe to it. I was with a couple writers that I was working with at the time and we felt it was a very playful record and a very feel good record and "Ain't Easy" just came from that and, honestly, it happened really quickly; it was one of the songs that we probably wrote the fastest.
Is that single indicative of what we can expect to hear on your forthcoming album?
Yes, but there's also a good variety on the album, too. There's obviously the feel good songs and then there's the more reflective kind of record - like "Can't Say Nothing" - but then there's some more RnB leaning stuff too, like "Thing You Do" and "Trippin'" and "Closer" are a couple of songs that are pretty RnB on my record. So, I think there's a nice mix of everything.
Could you describe that album, I'm Ready?
I would say it's an album that is going to touch many different listeners who like both RnB and pop music. I think there's something for everybody on there and I think that's the cool thing about it, is I kind of meshed it; there's some songs that are more pop like "Ain't Easy" and "I'm Ready", but then I did some songs that are really RnB too, and I did some ones that are kind of a mixture. So, I just think, no matter what you like, you're going to like something on this album.
What do you hope listeners can take away from your music?
I think, in making music, it's storytelling that comes from my life and situations and experiences that I've been in and I know everyone goes through similar things with relationships and love and different stuff like that, so I hope my music can just relate to what someone is feeling at that particular time or at some point in their life, and I just want to make that connection with my fans and the audience. This is stuff that we all go through and I'm fortunate enough that I have a platform to spin that message out and I just hope everyone feels the same way as a I do.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Well, if you haven't heard anything that's out already, you can find all the songs that I already have done - there's three or four singles that I have out already, including "Ain't Easy" - on Spotify and iTunes and any other streaming service that you have. You can find it under 'Justin Morelli' and I hope that you look forward to more things to come soon.