A Chat with JJ Sweetheart (09.02.25)
This might be our introduction to JJ Sweetheart, but he is by no means a minnow in the music industry’s shark pool. If, however, he were a minnow, the US-based singer-songwriter would be the silvery darting minnow that befuddles the sharks and keeps you eagerly awaiting his next dart. A former member of the group Howler, JJ Sweetheart’s solo project takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with his soul-stirring music. We speak with JJ Sweetheart about the upcoming EP Big Things, what music means to him, future plans, and more.
OSR: Cliché but what drew you to music? Why did you decide to become a musician?
JJ Sweetheart: Well the first record I remember owning was actually Smash Mouth on cassette. I had a little Walkman and I was convinced I was walking on the sun. So I guess you can say in some small way Smash Mouth really started all this for me. You could say I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Smash Mouth. You could also reasonably presume that I danced naked to Smash Mouth. I think it would be fair to say I still dance naked to Smash Mouth. If I was a betting man I would say I am currently totally naked, in a basement, dancing to ‘Walking On The Sun’ by Smash Mouth. I wanted to be a musician because I am an attention-seeking stink goblin that only feels validated when people say nice things to me, and tell me I’m creative.
OSR: You are about to release your EP Big Things. Does the album have a backstory or particular theme?
JJ Sweetheart: Of all the records I have ever put out in my 15 years of being a musician, this one probably has the most lore. I wrote ‘Cinnamom’ before I quit my job at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center from compassion fatigue, and unrequited love, and dedicated the song to one of our patients that was a cinnamon colored mama possum that I named Cinnamom. Unfortunately that patient had a very sad story that I’m not really at liberty to say but it burnt me out. I think about it a lot still.
So after my emotional breakdown I took all the money I had saved and flew from Minnesota to the Border of Arizona to throw myself onto the Arizona Trail (that is a nearly 1,000 mile hiking trail that goes through the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, just real desolate high and low deserts). It took me nearly 4 months to walk and I almost died a couple times. Coolest thing I have ever done by far and the mental challenges I went through did what 20 years of therapy couldn’t do in like a month. Nature heals. But anyways I wrote and recorded the vocals for ‘This World’, ‘Feral Feelings’, and ‘To The Grave’ using the microphone on my iPhone and the Bandlab app. It was very very raw and lofi, but I liked the sound and kept it. It was really hard to mix to get it to sound even slightly passable as music but I am happy with the result. When I got home from the Trail I felt totally reborn so I decided to remix and record the first song I ever wrote when I was like 18 called ‘Heart Medal’.
So the EP really tells a story. I lost my mind, and threw myself into a trial-by-fire situation. Easily could’ve sank but I swam and now I am a creative menace that cannot stop writing lofi bops! When I got home it felt like I was given a new chance at music and writing because I fell in love with myself out in that desert sun. I also started writing my first podcast. It has 8 episodes on all streaming platforms called Bro Is an Animal if you like comedic animal facts. I recommend the Rock Dove episode, that’s my favorite one.
OSR: Your music is quite eclectic drawing together various genres from lo-fi pop to indie-rock. Do you think experimenting with styles is important, and why use various genres instead of sticking to the “tried and true”?
JJ Sweetheart: Thank you! I think experimenting is not only the funnest thing you can do as an artist but should be prerequisite for any new material. Stink around a little bit. Especially with technology nowadays, you can record a mourning dove singing outside and loop that thang, throw some reverb on it, delay, gain, flanger, cut it up. Decide you really don’t like that. SCREAM, and then delete it. But you will be happy you tried and learn that maybe what you really needed was two coyotes fighting at three in the morning, pitch shift that, put a tuba modulator on it. Game over. Just play around, have fun, there is no guaranteed successful formula and people appreciate authenticity. If you like how your vocals sound coming from a megaphone… pop off king.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your EP and music in general?
JJ Sweetheart: That you don’t need money and a shit ton of expensive gear to make a record that you are proud of. I consider myself a pretty snotty music geek but if a record is authentic, and you like the sound of it, that is going to show up. Take out your phone. Download Bandlab, and just start throwing gain and reverb on some track by track recordings. Big things will come for you.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
JJ Sweetheart: Not to be to cheesy but it quite literally means everything to me. I have a soundtrack or playlist for every emotion in the book. I have a panic attack playlist (calm, somber) hyped playlist (emotional bangers). This doesn’t happen everyday and some days I don’t listen enough, but every once and a while the sun will hit just right and ill be listening to Smash Mouth. And for a small moment of time my chest warms and I feel this euphoria. I love that music can do that to me.
OSR: As a musician, you have experience in bands and as a solo artist. What are the pros and cons – for lack of a better word – to being in a band and being a solo musician? Also, which do you prefer?
JJ Sweetheart: Pros of being in a band is that if your band has good chemistry and good sound. When you are fully dialled in and can play your set in your sleep. Its hard to top what that does for a room or a venue as just one person in my opinion. I can sing some cool songs and the backing tracks can hit, but then I look around and its just me. Everyone is looking at me. Like chill, you are so obsessed with me, stop it. Its a lot of pressure. Every mistake you make in a song is so much more noticeable.
Cons are that in 2025, and this economy, who has time to practice and create in real time? Bands that are still practicing once a week are the heroes but after Covid I have not been able to make that work. Time is money and the price of just living in America is terrible. It is very hard to keep a schedule when everything is so overwhelming right now. So it is very nice to just have to work around my own availability and my own creative energy as it comes and goes.
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song would you choose and why?
JJ Sweetheart: I think I would show them ‘Cinnamom’. I love my other tracks and their lofi charm but Coleman Trapp from Coast Modern really did a great job producing that. The vocals were recorded by Chris Heidman of Sukpatch so that was really nice to get to work with such professional musicians, and gave me even more confidence behind that single.
OSR: What advice do you have for new artists?
JJ Sweetheart: Promoting your music is literally the most important thing you can do. You have to believe it and you cant just hope its gonna get picked up randomly. Labels have teams of people working on getting you heard. If you don’t have a label and want to control rights to your songs, you need to take promotion like a full-time job. But also don’t be too hard on your results when you are first starting. Play shows, get some local press before you reach out to heavy hitters. Try and separate yourself from your ego as much as possible. It’s not a personal attack that someone doesn’t like your music, we just have different tastes. Move on, I promise you there is niche of listeners for every sound conceivable. Find your audience. Become Smash Mouth.
OSR: What can we expect from JJ Sweetheart in the future?
JJ Sweetheart: I want to continue the songwriting process of just going completely feral and throwing myself into the wilderness for months alone. It gives me so much time to process my emotions, take time with melodies, and just give the songwriting process the time it deserves. So I plan on hiking the Appalachian trail and recording a whole new batch of song ideas on my phone. Regardless if I stay or go, I think I will be a lot more aggressive with documenting that process on social media. If you want to follow me the best way to watch this next escapade is on Instagram @JJSweetheartmusic
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
JJ Sweetheart: You are awesome for supporting such a fine blog! I think these music writers do such an incredible job turning people onto new music, and if you don’t follow their Spotify playlist The Other Side Recommends you definitely should save it cuz its an entire vibe.
Many thanks to JJ Sweetheart for speaking with us. Find out more about JJ Sweetheart on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Listen to more of our favourite tunes on The Other Side Recommends playlist:
