While some Tufts students pass their summers at the beach, clocking hours in an office or lounging by the lake in Talloires, sophomore Justin Mitchell spent much of his time in a recording studio. The budding singer-songwriter is self-releasing his first album, "One Day," this coming week, after three months of hard work and preparation.
When Mitchell stumbled upon an unexpected and fortuitous connection through his summer vocal teacher, he jumped at the opportunity to record his work. "Most of how I find and meet musicians is through online sources," he said. "Over the summer I was searching for a vocal teacher and I found [Beth Burrows] through her Web site. She's fantastic and has a great résumé ... and she wanted to give me a push in the right direction."
Mitchell was drawn to Burrows before even knowing that she ran her own recording label in Manhattan, Pillar Records. He signed on and began crafting his debut album with the help of Burrows and several collaborators, including Mitchell's close friend Alex Cohen on drums. Mitchell funded his recording time and the weekend drives to Manhattan by hauling golf clubs as a caddy in his home state of Connecticut. "I guess I should give credit to the country club members, because they pretty much paid for this album," he said with a laugh.
The exhausting combination of caddy work, recording and songwriting kept Mitchell constantly busy, but he is used to multitasking while remaining engaged in his musical pursuits. At Tufts, Mitchell juggles a potential history major, hockey and his continuing vocal and songwriting work. He's been writing music since age 15 and has been playing the piano for even longer.
Mitchell is no stranger to live performance either; he has played at a variety of indie-rock venues from New York City to Boston as part of a rock quartet. With the help of a booking agent, Mitchell made his way to some sought-after stages in Manhattan and learned how to publicize effectively since, as he said, "It's definitely a competitive market trying to draw people into your show when the Yankees are playing!"
It's this combination of persistence and an audience-conscious outlook that allows Mitchell to bring focus to his independent work as well. With so much already on his plate, Mitchell won't be performing until spring semester at the earliest, instead concentrating on his solo album and on writing more songs.
Citing his biggest influences as popular bands The Fray and OneRepublic, Mitchell described his favorite style as "commercial ... with a more piano-based sound."
Ultimately, Mitchell aims to create music that can reach a broad audience. "The songs I usually enjoy playing [are] more emotionally laden relationship songs," he explained. "I think those are the things that get me and an audience going."
The tracks on his debut album often explore memories of past relationships and are neatly sandwiched between two versions of the title song "One Day." It was this particular song, Mitchell explained, that sparked the creation of the album. "I wrote the lead song over the summer ... [It] was actually why Beth took such an interest in me, more than anything. She took a real interest in this song, and in producing and arranging it. That was kind of where we got off the ground," he said.
The main version of the song kicks off the album, while the concluding counterpart includes more lyrical depth and a lengthy guitar solo by one of Mitchell's collaborators, Jason Jagentenfl. The extended version is "more personal," and the added lyrics give the ending a more specific context. Mitchell is particularly excited to hear reactions to this song, as it is at the crux of the whole album.
Another song on the album, entitled "Desert Playground," was done completely in one take. "It was the last day and we literally only had an hour or so left, so I just did it in one shot," Mitchell said. Under pressure but exhilarated, Mitchell pulled it off and was happy with the resulting track. The intensity of "Desert Playground," in a way, echoes the entire recording experience as a whole: a lot of work within a limited time frame, but with some wonderful discoveries along the way. "I learned through doing. I learned all the different things that go into the final product; and I learned just as much about how to sell myself and my music as I did about the recording process."
What's next for Justin Mitchell? "The sky's the limit, just go as far as you can," he said. "I definitely have goals and hopes but try to keep it in check and stay grounded in that respect." One thing that seems certain is that Mitchell's sense of determination and self-assurance will take him, as it did last summer with a little luck and caddy cash, to new challenges and musical experiences.
Check out the new album "One Day" on iTunes, or keep your eyes peeled in the coming week for Mitchell, who will be distributing free copies. For more information, visit justinmitchellmusic.com or myspace.com/justinmitchellmusik.
