Q&A: Joe Avio "Spotlight"
☆ By Molly Sharples ☆
Photos By Eddie Mandell
SHOWCASING AN HONEST AND REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE - Joe Avio’s debut single “Models” is embellished with a personal, yet critical depiction of the effects of glamorization in today’s society, a side of Avio’s music that we have never seen before. Digging deep within his own experiences, and equally, within his creative endeavors as a songwriter, Avio unearths an introspective project, embedded within a fusion of electronic and natural sounds. In doing so, Avio gifts us with a unique song, carefully crafted to provoke us to look beneath the surface.
“Models” serves as an introduction to a new era, with new music already in the works. Read below to learn more about Avio’s upcoming projects, his evolution as an artist within the music industry and more.
LUNA: How have you been lately? How’s your quarantine been treating you?
AVIO: I’ve been great! I made it to Canada and have been hanging out in my mum’s basement isolating for the last few days.
LUNA: Sonically, what are some of the key elements shaping your sound?
AVIO: When I’m making music I really try to use equal parts, electronic and natural elements. Lately I’ve had the opportunity to work beyond my laptop with analog equipment which has enabled me to get way better source material. Committing to sounds before they reach the computer has definitely changed the way I create. When it comes to the influences behind “Models,” I was listening to a lot of more acoustic leaning music like Bon Iver as well as bigger sounding records from artists like Tame Impala and The 1975.
LUNA: How have you seen your songwriting and music evolve since you first started making music?
AVIO: I think the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last couple years is that it’s important to fight for ideas. When it comes to lyrics and production, a lot of times it’s easy to go with the first solution and not dig deeper for better ones. It’s always worth it in the end to come up with multiple options and choose the best, by either working with other people or bearing down and pushing through on your own.
LUNA: Congrats on your debut single “Models” - exciting stuff! The track alludes to the concept of “shifting values and the difficulties of feeling inconsequential when surrounded by greed”, can you talk a bit more about this narrative?
AVIO: Totally! When I moved to LA I sort of romanticized some of the values that are glamorized here. Things like how many instagram followers you have or what kind of car you drive started to carry more weight and take up more of my psyche.
“Models” is supposed to parallel my experiences in Los Angeles. On the surface it’s this big grandiose spectacle, but at its core it’s really just about somebody that feels very small as they take it all in.
LUNA: The track comes from a more personal mindset - how does it feel to share a more vulnerable side of yourself through music?
AVIO: I find that it’s easier to talk about personal things through music rather than face to face. With “Models” and all the songs on my project, it feels less like I’m being vulnerable and more like I’m giving a running commentary on my headspace.
LUNA: How does “Models” compare to the rest of your project?
AVIO: One of the biggest differences I guess is that “Models “is outward facing, whereas the rest of the project is more self reflective. Sonically, I wanted to start with “Models” as my debut single because it feels more left of center and abstract than some of the other records on the project.
LUNA: I know things are pretty unpredictable these days, but do you have any upcoming goals and plans you’d like to share?
AVIO: Staying coronavirus free and touring as soon as humanly possible!
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From Pavietra 🕊️ https://t.co/BXVgWlZud8 -
slowthai by Rosie Matheson 🤩 https://t.co/z7SDfFQ5iF
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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RT @AnOtherMagazine: #DreamHome – this isolated idyll in the mountains of Lanzarote 🌵 📸 via Nowness, photography by Clemence Blr 🔁 https://t.co/GUusdxD0cg