Justin Vidal, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Southern California, said he has many projects in the works for this year. The music-writer has been releasing solo projects since 2021 and nine of his original songs are available for listening.
Vidal’s history with music starts in third grade when he was practicing on a Ludwig drum kit that once belonged to his father, who played in a college band. They still own that kit today. Vidal picked up the guitar and bass in seventh grade and recorded music on eight-tracks. Gradually, he learned how to layer those tracks, harmonize with his own vocals and understand how to structure pieces.
During elementary school, Vidal played the drums inside his garage. He remembered the older children who passed by would get hooked on the sound and bring over their own guitars to join in the music. Together, they played metal covers from classic bands, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Police and Rush.
“Playing with other people, in a band, at such a young age is what gave me the ability and passion for playing live, and wanting to play live on bigger and bigger stages,” Vidal said.
Vidal played with numerous bands over the years, including his college band, “Walk The Rio.” The band spent more than seven years performing several shows a week in Hollywood and touring throughout the West Coast and Las Vegas.
“This was the first band where we actually went in studios and recorded professional, which led to releasing a couple great albums and extended plays. This experience gave me a real insight into doing this professionally, how to structure and produce music and then take that to the stage,” he said.
Vidal is quick to credit fellow musicians who contributed to his work: keyboardist Kyle Armstrong, who Vidal seeks out for creative performances on the piano or organ. According to Vidal, anytime Armstrong performs with him, the piece will turn out better than before. Some of the musicians featured in Vidal’s song, “Love What You Have,” include guitarists Brian Meredith and Joe Encee and the vocalist Britt Pisanelli.
“I really wanted to get more people included on that extended play, and it was super fun. Every artist brings something new, so when I hear something in my head I instantly think of someone specific,” Vidal said.
For his piece “All I Need,” Vidal sought out the assistance of his sister, Shaina Vidal, on vocals.
Some of Vidal’s earliest musical influences include Bob Marley, and reggae artists like Steel Pulse and Peter Tosh.
Artists that he finds inspiration from today range from Tribal Seeds, Stick Figure, The Movement and Iration. He said that if he could only listen to one artist for the remainder of his life, it’d be Pink Floyd.
Vidal said he takes pride in his songs. With each project, he learns something new, from his first song, titled “It’s a Beautiful Day,” for its simple, fun sound, to his latest song, “When I’m With You, Girl,” which he said has elements that came through the speakers the way intended and was difficult to achieve.
“This song is about how my wife makes me feel invincible so I can do anything, but also puts me in check when I veer off the wrong way. I hope everyone can relate this to someone in their life,” he said.
Currently, Vidal said he hoped to make music with which listeners will connect. He wants to make music that will encourage them to get up and move or spark a feeling within them. He said his music offers something for everyone.
“The more people I can bring some feeling to, the better I feel about the final results,” he said.
Find his music at https://linktr.ee/justinvidalmusic.
Ava Sarnowski can be reached by email at valleystaff@reedermedia.com.
Edits: Name spellings for Brian Meredith and Britt Pisanelli have been corrected.
