It’s Just Al Music Interview And New Single “First Impressions”
Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.
I’m Alex Montano also know as It’s Just Al. I’m 17 and from San Tan Valley Az.
Why the name It’s Just Al?
When I was in highschool I had this friend named Josh who would call me Big Al. It lasted about maybe two weeks at the most. It all ended when he started dating my sister. Then it became step bro and that got old. So it just became Al. Trust me out of all the rap names I’ve tried out Big Al, Razzberry, and Xander Mercury. I think It’s Just Al is here to stay.
How would you describe your music style? And what’s your creative process when you write new music)
A lot of my “instrumental” style comes from guys like Seth Bishop and Call Me.
Karizma. It’s all just simple guitar and drums, but it’s that simplicity that gives the artist tons of room to get their vocals on. As far as creative process i just find the rhythms then put words to it after i get a good feel for the beat and of course I revise over and over again until i get it just right.
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
My biggest inspirations are Yelawolf and Eminem. Yelawolf Just has this country and rap infused style and he’s just like a poet with that. It’s hard to explain but the best example is Write Your Name. He just tells a story about teen pregnancy and he does it so well and smoothly. Eminem of course is the rap god there is no denying that but, I am heavily influenced by his Revival album and the Slim Shady LP. It’s a slower paced word played style of rap that hit’s just as hard as his other faster paced songs. If I had to pick someone to work with It would be without question these three legends. Seth Bishop, Zach Salter, and Justina Valentine. All can rap and sing to perfection. Zach and Seth have already done work with each other with songs like Underwater and Promise. I believe if you just throw in Justina as a hook in there, then you got a number one hit coming up.
How do you balance your music with other activities like work/ hobbies?
Well balancing is tricky at times. This semester I finished with a 3.5 GPA so I did alright for myself. The key is to focus on the task at hand and to do what is most important. So all the time I’m just focused on my school stuff like wrestling, ballroom, and homework. The nice thing is though I do get two week breaks every time a quarter ends so that’s when I get into working on my music.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Just keep going. As long as your hearts are in the right place the money will follow. Just focus on making good art so the world will pay you so you can then make even more great art. Lastly just be you, only you know your true sound.
Connect with It’s Just Al
