I had the pleasure of seeing Junior Mesa performing live at the Fillmore in San Francisco this past Monday. His unique sound— a mix of psychedelic-pop, alt-rock, and indie music–– enraptured the audience in a hex of head-banging and arm-waving. They were able to warm up the crowd in a jeering fanfare and leave the audience cheering for an encore. After they ended their set, I knew I had to learn more about the artists. I had the chance to sit down with Mesa and his crew of musicians after the show.
We were quick to talk about our favorite albums and artists, ranging from decades ago to today. While we were talking about his musical inspirations, it was clear that he absorbs insight and creative influence from across all different genres.
Pictured: Junior Mesa
“All the music I have out now has been heavily inspired by the 60s, 70s, 80s, a lot of Prince. Prince is definitely my favorite artist of all time, and a little bit before that it was Jimmie Hendrix. But I would say these days I would say I am really inspired by electronic music, like Aphex Twin, and also this one South Korean artist called Mid-Air Thief. They are really cool. they kind of play around with the idea of no repetition. So there are no hooks, choruses, or even bridges, it’s just kind of like a song that goes on and then it ends, and nothing was ever the same at any point in the entire song, so I really like things like that. Also, I love ambient music.”
Mesa’s artistry inspirations come from all over, allowing for the creation of his unique sound. He emphasized that his influences are not only musical but come from all over the realm of creativity and enjoys everything from poetry to painting. When asked what he thinks is most important in being an artist, Mesa was quick to come up with a heartfelt response.
“I think open-mindedness, communication skills, empathy, and the ability to feel others’ emotions as your own make a great artist. I’ve just noticed all the people that I really enjoy listening to, just really care how you feel, and really break down what feelings and emotions are in a language that isn’t words, but sound. Or in other cases visual or poetry, just artistry that is beyond the basic forms of language that’s completely beyond small talk. And the people who can immerse themselves in that realm and really understand it have the qualities I really want to embody in my music.”
Pictured: Julian Cullars
From talking to Mesa’s fellow musicians touring with him, they all seem to be unanimous in the fact that Mesa has successfully embodied these ideals. Bass player Julian Cullars had some words to add when it came to talking about the touring experience with the Junior and the band.
“Traveling with them is a very creative experience, we all get to scratch those ticks in our heads. Everyone is just a big weirdo, and we love that about each other, it’s very comforting. Junior is a fucking genius when it comes to throwing stuff up together and making it work.” (He also made sure to emphasize: “make sure to add me @jbean_cullars, you won’t regret it.”)
In fact, the one common thread I found when talking to the other members traveling with Mesa was not only how good he was with the music aspect of things, but how he could connect to others in a creative way, beyond writing some notes on a sheet of paper. Guitarist Sean Lee emphasized that point, and almost shed a tear of happiness when talking about working with Mesa as both colleagues and companions.
“Junior is probably my favorite artist to work for because he has the notion of understanding how to connect with others when they play their instrument, and not just focus on the instrument making music. If someone is insecure, someone is quiet, someone is loud, someone is outspoken, he is able to read that and he allows them to play who they are, which is really rare for an artist. As someone who has played with Junior for a long time, I feel like he has allowed me to play as myself, but also right down the rules on how I can play better, which really and honestly makes me grow as a musician.”
Pictured: Sean Lee
At this point in the conversation, both Mesa and Lee were laughing and bantering off one another in brotherly comradery. When asked about his favorite parts of performing, Mesa returned the words of praise to his group and said:
“I think the most difficult part of performing is keeping it interesting for me. But on a live show, I really enjoy seeing players like these guys who can really play their instruments and personalities when performing. Also, using the nice subsystems for what they are, because they are beasts, you know, like really powerful things, and you’re really able to capture the music.”
Not only does Mesa play multiple instruments, but he also writes all his songs himself. He pointed out that one of his favorite parts of the creative process is definitely songwriting.
“I think in a recording I definitely enjoy the songwriting aspect, which kind of goes both ways. When I’m listening to a recording it’s definitely about the writing of the song, like what the song is as a skeleton.”
Pictured: Junior Mesa
With the release of his new EPs, Junior has been on a month-long tour with the group. He and the other players highlighted the pressure and grueling exhaustion that comes with performing live and touring on the road, but Mesa made sure to point out the inspiration that can come from playing live.
“During this tour, for the first time, I had a moment where I looked out into the crowd and had a genuine smile, not just a manufactured million-dollar look, or whatever. Instead of trying to make everyone else feel good, I experienced myself feeling good up there. It was a really beautiful experience because I didn’t know if it was possible for me to be honest.”
Mesa was bittersweet about the conclusion of their tour but stressed that he is really excited for what was to come.
“Looking forward, we are going to start doing live recordings of new songs we are writing. We kind of formed a team where we trust each other, now we are going to make something great. We are going to make something really cool, and change the world of course.”
It’s clear that Mesa and his team have big plans for the future. From opening at the Filmore to working on releasing new music, Mesa is definitely someone up-and-coming to look out for, but I especially took away that Mesa and his band of brothers were bonded by something unique—using music through the lens of connection. Almost having a playful conversation as they played off each other, and using instruments as their objects of conversation, they make sure to always let the audience in on their playful brotherly banter.
Article and Photos by Ava Aguiar
Follow the artists on social media: Junior Mesa: @juniorrjunior; Julian Cullars: @jbean_cullars; Sean Lee: @s.e.an.doc; Hunter Meelee: @huntermeelee; Peter Johnston: @thatskinnypete