Q: Hey John, thanks for coming on Rising Artists with us! Tell us a little bit more about your upcoming album “Suburban Child” that will be release on August 23.
JOHN GRESKA: “Suburban Child” has been in production for the past year or so. It tells the story of growing up in different phases: from being young to first-time independence to self-discovery to reconsidering dreams to those first adult thoughts about what happens with the rest of life. The album was recorded during the pandemic, completely in my house using a makeshift studio of blankets. I’m quite happy with how it turned out given the circumstances. As for the release date, August 23rd, that’s the first day of Virgo season. That’s your only hint ;).
Q: What drew you to the genre indie pop?
JOHN: I find indie pop to be such a large umbrella of different sounds. When I’m writing I find I want to go in many directions, whether in terms of instrumentation or the song as a whole. This makes indie pop such a fun genre to be in. It’s so versatile, especially when combined with other spaces in music like singer/songwriter. I also try to add my own little special touch with classical instruments which I think is fun.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
JOHN: The best thing about being an artist is the outlet it provides for expression. Sometimes things can get really hard. It’s nice to be able to have a way to put your emotions into something else. It feels even better when that outlet eventually becomes a finished product that you can show others. “Here’s what I’ve been feeling these past few months. It’s been hard to tell you, but now I can show you.”
Q: What is your favorite song you have written and why?
JOHN: I really like “The Big Hill”, which is why I chose it to be the first single to the upcoming album. However, my favorite song would, without question, have to be “Gravity.” Also coming from “Suburban Child”, “Gravity” just sort of assembled itself. The most I can say about it is that it means a lot to me, I was in a place at the time where the lyrics meant a lot to me. And it’s still my favorite because, well, personally I think it’s the best out of all the songs I’ve written so far.
Q: Would you like to collaborate with anyone? If so who and why?
JOHN: I don’t have anyone specific in mind currently who I’d like to collaborate with, I haven’t met too many other artists yet. That being said I’ve always wanted to collaborate with others and am very open to finding people who are open to working together.
And I also want to collaborate with Nicki Minaj.
Q: What can we expect from you within the next 6 months, besides your upcoming album? Future gigs?
JOHN: As of right now, I don’t have too many public plans for the next 6 months. I see myself diving right into my next album. I want to, as mentioned in the previous question, maybe start finding people who would want to work together. I don’t have any gigs lined up at the moment, but you never know. Whatever happens in the next few months, I’ll make sure to keep everyone updated!
Interviewed by Stephanie Pankewich
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