Written by Tiffany Moya
Photos from Justin Jay’s Facebook page
Get prepared for some groovy tunes and genuine smiles because Santa Cruz Music Festival’s lineup has something for everyone. If you haven’t heard, Santa Cruz knows how to get down and woogie! Per usual, this year’s lineup includes some amazing live bands, DJs, hip-hop and folk artists, etc. And for all the house music fans, stay tuned as SCMF has plenty of bass coming our way, too!
WHO IS JUSTIN JAY?
Many may agree that there is no other artist artist who captures the vibe of Santa Cruz quite like Justin Jay. Combining components of a live band to his house DJ’s sets apart his unique and innovative sound from other artist. His happy go lucky sound will be sure to get you feeling funky and take you on an indescribable voyage. Jay’s soulful, funk house style mixed with Dirtybird’s iconic deep bass sound was manifested in the Los Angeles local’s dorm room. After graduating from USC and earning a degree in Music Industry, the hip artist released the series Fantastic Voyage Eps, which had been an ongoing project during his collegiate career.
The heavily house influenced series captured an array of genres (Techno, Funk, etc.) that Jay had begun to interweave into his eclectic signature sound. 
As the youngest member to join the Dirtybird record label, he began to feel the pressures of his career and decided to take a brief hiatus, taking a step back from the industry. During this time off, Jay refined his house sound and returned to the music scene with the release of his new album, Home, this past October.
DOWN TO JOIN THE FANTASTIC VOYAGE?
The highly anticipated album revealed an indie-inspired sound and cohesiveness that reflected his maturation and growth as an artist. Home manages to maintain the artists’ house bass vibe with a new vibrant live band style and fans are seriously “digging it”. The album kickstarted a tour featuring appearances on the notable Holy Ship Festival and DirtyBird Campout East, with more dates TBA so keep an eye out! Much like his Dirtybird counterparts, Jay’s music reflects his laid back and modest persona. Hence, his perfect fit with Santa Cruz’s mellow college town vibe. It is evident based on his success booking acclaimed and well established festivals across the United States, that this artist’s career is just getting started. A cool guy with a dope sound… What more do you need?
So start paddling now, cause this wave is about to take off! Check out Santa Cruz Music Festival this March 10th & 11th to catch a glimpse of Justin Jay doing his thing.
Grab your tickets HERE!