Justin Hulsey started writing and playing music at the age of fifteen in his hometown of Kansas City, and since that time has crafted a sound -- and, indeed, a written voice -- all his own. His work displays influences ranging from master song-craftsmen Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and John Lennon to musical groundbreakers Radiohead, Elbow, and Jeff Buckley. However, not to be defined by his predecessors, Justin remains immersed not only in the most prolific musicians of recent decades, but also in the great literary classics of Kurt Vonnegut and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few.
His most recent work, an EP entitled Four Songs has earned Justin praise from critics and peers, courtship from various record labels, and a recently inked affiliation with SESAC, a major emissary for music of integrity. But Justin's career has already seen more staggering iterations than many successful musicians see throughout a lifetime of effort.
Before moving to Nashville in 2002, Justin independently released a full-length album, Running Upon The Wires. Topically, Wires explored territories Justin knows well. Amidst driving rhythms, clean, emotive production, and quintessential expression of youthful longing, an attentive listener hears what can easily be identified as thoughtful, honest renderings of familiar sentiments.
In 2003, Justin made Nashville his home and shortly thereafter teamed with producer Donnie Boutwell. The two spent several months in the former Park Studio fostering an atmosphere of pure creativity. Drawn closer to the dark musings of Nick Drake and Elbow's artful ambiguity, Justin had arrived at a new, distinctly different place, while honing his trademark honesty and emotive flare for the subtle dramatic. According to Donnie, "we broke the rules and carved out a work that will remain uncommon among the Nashville formulaic mimicry." The project, now known as The Ghost, was the culmination of a year of struggling with (and writing about) death, faith, growth, and ultimately life, in a new town. And in this new town Justin had found greater depth and more complete thought in his craft.
Soon another project was in the works, this time with Nashville Rock stalwart Jon Smith (of Luna Halo and Kevin Max fame). Although rarely heard to date, this was another reformative time for Justin. In his own words, "I think I'm still just too close to it. Maybe after I've gotten some distance, I'll appreciate it more." This tells volumes of the purity of Justin's craft and the intimate place it resides. It is worth noting that this was long his feeling about Wires as well. Hopefully this respite will end soon, because a very significant change took place in the production of this yet untitled EP. Within the slick, modern "wall-of-sound" that Jon crafted around the songs of skeptical hope, there's a decisive metamorphosis in Justin's delivery. Previously it could be described as reluctant obligation, as if the songs had always existed, pleading to escape through pen and strings. In this project, for the first time, Justin unclenched his teeth and unbound his voice, and in this refined tone it is evident that he has embraced his purpose.
This growth and confidence has continued and manifested itself in a new way in Justin's latest offering. In a few short months, his Four Songs EP has begun to garner the praise and attention owed this groundbreaking artist. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Chad Brown (Stateside producer, engineer on Ryan Adams' Demolition) this collection of songs called for a more minimalist treatment. Primarily acoustic, Four Songs features world-class musicians including Brad Pemberton (Ryan Adams and The Cardinals) on drums and percussion and the legendary pedal steel of Lloyd Green (credits on The Byrds and Waylon Jennings, among countless others). Showing as much restraint as his previous EP indulged, this is just the showcase these songs require. In fact, "Rose On Driftwood," though recorded numerous times since Justin's first months in Nashville, finally found a suitable home only with this combination of players. According to Chad, this record is "much like {Justin's} personality -- sincere and whimsical. He'll deliver one poignant line after another -- Poetic and melodic."
Justin's catalog is uniquely rich for an artist with such a short career. At once stylistically diverse and uniformly cogitative, he has an undeniable potential to write some of our era's most important music. He's been known to disclose "I have to write. I have to create. I have to be on stage."
Lucky for us.
Written by Beau Davidson, Creative Manager for Cal IV Entertainment, Nashville, TN.
myspace.com/justinhulseymusic