Spotlight on Jay Stubbs (@Hamseason)
CORONOA, CA – The best things in life are sometimes unexpected. A song that starts off as something fun for the summer can take off and become a hit, given the right circumstances.
That’s what Jay Stubbs has found with his new single, “This S**t is Lit.” The rapidly rising musician from Southern California is a free-spirited, fun-loving individual who injects his music with humor and good vibes. As with most of his songs, the new single started with a beat that he knew almost instantly he loved. He started writing lyrics to it with the thought that it would be a fun song to share with friends.
“I kind of created it by accident, but it took off,” he said. “It’s crazy how things travel. The song is a have fun, party-it-up kind of song that makes you want to dance. But the term ‘lit’ – which means dope or cool or the bomb – has become really trendy lately. Everybody is saying it now. So when this song was made it was kind of like a perfect storm because it came out right in the middle of that trend. Plus it’s summertime, and everybody just wants to have fun, and this song is made for that. Since it came out, I’ve had quite a few venues call me up and ask me to perform at events or at college universities. It’s been really cool. But, you know, the best things in life are sometimes unexpected.”
That unexpected fame isn’t something new to Stubbs. While in college, he and his best friend decided to start making parody music videos just for the fun of it. Their first parody video was of the song “American Boy,” and it became an overnight viral sensation. From that one video they began getting calls from campus radio stations all over the world about picking up the song for their regular rotation. They followed that up with a second parody for the song “Paper Planes,” which also took off. The rest of their college career was then filled with parody videos that made them minor celebrities on campus and sought-after musicians on YouTube.
After graduation, Stubbs has dedicated his life to pursing a music career. Though he’s not ashamed of the limited celebrity he enjoyed through his parody videos, he wants to pursue a more serious music career. His first single, “Young Souls,” hit YouTube earlier this year and has seen good success. The same university radio stations who called him earlier in his career have come calling again. And now he wants to show the world his diversity with his second single and a mix tape scheduled to be released later this year.
“After college I spent a lot of time finding myself,” he said. “I explored a lot of different genres – from pop to hip-hop to alternative rock. At the end of the day I decided that I’m the kind of musician who does a little bit of everything. So my mixtape is going to be everything. That’s me being me. Musically I embody every genre. And there’s nothing wrong with being me. That’s what I want people to get when they hear my music – that there’s nothing wrong with being yourself. The realest thing you can do in life is to be yourself.”
“This S**t is Lit” is available for download on digital media sites such as iTunes and Soundcloud. He has also released a new mixtape entitled “Who is Jay Stubbs,” which is also spotlighted on his Soundcloud page. Those wishing to see Stubbs live, or who want to know about upcoming music releases, can follow him on social media on Facebook, or on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat under the handle @Hamseason.