Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. Today, we are joined by the legendary Justin Warfield. From signing a solo deal at sixteen on Quincy Jones’s label to his global success with She Wants Revenge, Justin has spent thirty years navigating diverse genres.
Stick around as we discuss how Beastie Boys made it safe for him to be a 'total weirdo' in early hip-hop, the 'perfect storm' involving Lady Gaga that gave his hit 'Tear You Apart' a massive second life, and the 'Willy Wonka' factory experience of the 90s London music scene.
Justin has a new album out called "Deathrock Devotionals" under the band name Warfield.
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https://www.justinwarfield.com
https://instagram.com/justinwarfield
https://linktr.ee/justinwarfield
https://justinwarfield.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_fKiWxtJFNyf0pXQc1vK_w
https://cleopatrarecords.bandcamp.com/album/deathrock-devotionals
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• 00:00:00 - Intro
• 00:02:44 - Starting at 16 accidental career and mentorship in composition.
• 00:03:41 - The Quincy Jones Connection
• 00:04:51 - Architect of Trip-Hop?
• 00:07:09 - "Nashville Skyline" Meets Hip-Hop
• 00:09:04 - Freedom to be a "Weirdo"
• 00:10:20 - The "Perfect Storm" of 1988/89
• 00:13:29 - Transition to London
• 00:14:18 - Willy Wonka’s Factory
• 00:16:19 - Cycle of Mentorship
• 00:19:25 - Alternative Evolution
• 00:21:18 - "Growing Up in Public"
• 00:22:17 - Birth of She Wants Revenge
• 00:26:37 - A 20-Year Partnership
• 00:27:51 - How Lady Gaga personally championed "Tear You Apart" for American Horror Story.
• 00:28:44 - The WARFIELD Project
• 00:32:43 - Solo Autonomy: creative freedom of recording alone versus the collaborative
• 00:34:59 - "All the Fun" Mission Statement
• 00:38:06 - Songwriting Deep Dive: Reworking "If the World Starts Crashing Down Tonight"
• 00:41:35 - Trusting First Instincts
• 00:44:31 - Collaborative Process: How Thomas Froggatt and Spencer Rollins add "curveballs"
• 00:48:15 - Live Interpretation
• 00:49:08 - Mixtape Generation
• 00:50:25 - Vulnerability in "A Love So Bold"
• 00:52:23 - Looking Ahead
• 00:54:23 - Outro & Contact: Instagram and Bandsintown
