‘In The Morning’ is the fun debut single from Jay Mya releasing on 29th November. As the man behind Drunken Boy Records from South Yorkshire, and promoting big UK Urban talent such as Chipmunk and Bashy, Jay finally feels it’s time for him to add his own flavour to the music scene.
Jay Mya is everything you need for a good night to party; his eclectic musical genre is mixed of pop, grime, hip hop and dance. He’d love to collaborate with Craig David and he might just do that in the near future. But for now, Jay is all set to show everyone his fun and diverse musical flair and ‘In The Morning’ is the perfect start. We spoke to Jay to find out how he got into recording music, his ideal party tracklist and more.
Hi Jay! How is it going, what have you been up to lately?
Hi Saima, all good thanks. I have just been working hard on tour promoting the debut single, shooting the music video and starting work on the album. I can’t wait for the single release. It’s getting really close now.
So… where did this journey all begin for you Jay? How old were you?
I’d say the journey really began for me when I was about 14, at that time I wanted to be a DJ and it was the instrumentals on the Vinyl that inspired me to write my own music. I went from home recording on a PC mic to recording in some of the biggest professional studios up north. As the years have gone by, my talent has grown stronger and stronger along with my ambition… and here I am now.
You’ve been quite the boss backstage with your label Drunken Boy Records, are you excited to finally kick off your career as the artist Jay Mya?
I love all aspects of music and really enjoy promoting events and other artists. But my life would not be complete without this chapter. I now feel ready as an artist and knowledgeable enough to launch my own professional music career. I know that I have much to offer today’s music scene and I really feel like this is my time to shine.
Your debut single ‘In The Morning’; is it exactly how you hoped it’d be?
Yeah.. I really feel that it is important that my debut single shows off my personality so people get to know me straight away, and this is who I am. Although some of my material can be deep, heartfelt and at times emotional, I do love to have fun and focus on the positive things in life. As they say this is not a dress rehearsal!
If you could choose one artist to collaborate with, who would it be and why?
Hmm, just one? I actually would love to do a track with Craig David. I still think he is an amazing singer and songwriter. And he should make a big comeback featuring Jay Mya! His debut album ‘Born to do it’ sold over 8 million copies worldwide making him one of the biggest UK urban artists of all time, that’s why.
You’ve got quite a mix of style, so would you consider something completely different now as part of your new career?
I have a really diverse taste in music and I’m never afraid to try something new. As long as it sounds good I’m happy. My album will show many different sides to my music and I will be playing around with all kinds of genres. Don’t box in me just yet!
In terms of song writing, do you think of a melody and write to that or does music inspire it all first?
It really can work both ways for me. Usually I like to start with a concept and build from there. I’m always having crazy ideas for songs and then jumping up in the middle of the night to record them on my phone, or pulling up at the side of a road. That reminds me. I did that last night… I’ll check that now! Haha.
Tell us your ideal track list for a good night?
Ahh that’s a tough one. I like so many songs. On the spot I’d say for a full on celebration style night out it would have to include classics like.
The ‘get in the mood’ tracks..
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Chaka Khan – I feel for you
Craig David – Rewind
Hit the dance floor tracks…
Usher – Yeh
Jones Town – Sweet Thang
Jay z – Big Pimpin
The ‘go crazy’ dance tunes…
Faithless – Insomnia
Tiesto – Adagio for Strings
Underworld – Born Slippy
And the end of the night sing along anthems!…
The Killers – Mr Brightside
Oasis – Don’t look back in anger
The Beatles – Let it be
All that mixed with whatever is good at the time!
In a nutshell, what is music?
For me, Music is my life, and thankfully the reason I’ve never really had to get a proper job! Haha.
‘In The Morning’ is released through Universal Music on November 29th. Pre-order available from iTunes!
Words by Saima Azam.
Mya is awesome! So hyped for the release!!
Really catchy song! Excited to see what's to come from Jay!! 🙂