Just Loud by Marc Fong
I spoke with the talented, humble, hard-working, and soulful Just Loud. We sat down in the midst of his tour with Dirty Heads right before he played a jaw-dropping KFOG Studio Session. We discussed his extremely unique musical background, his recent collaboration with Debbie Harry, and much more. Check it out below.
No Name: Have you heard your song on the radio yet? Can you tell me what that was like?
Just Loud: Do you really want me to tell you?
NN: I do.
JL: I was in the car with my family, and honestly, it was at Hardy’s. Everyone kept dm-ing me with videos the of them recording my song being on the radio. We’re in Hardy’s, and my girl is complaining because we had to wait 10 minutes. 10 minutes turned into 15 minutes. So I’m just waiting in the car at the drive-thru and all of a sudden I start to hear “Soul Train” come on. And I didn’t realize it was the radio. My girl was like “turn it up, turn it up, that’s your song!” I mean, I didn’t really have an “oh my God” moment like I should have had because I was hungry.
NN: I that after a show you went to Denny’s. The moment that they play your song at Denny’s you have to jump on the table and sing along.
JL: I swear to God I will.
NN: I know you’re a Gemini and you idolize Tina Turner.
JL: (Tina and I) have similar upbringings. I had an “Ike” in my life at one point. I think through pain and through the trials, we go through as an individual is what really crafted my sound and my album and my music. I’m a singer with an edge. In church, I was “the church singer with rock.” It never really made sense and now it does.
NN: Some church bands have the full drum set and guitar, but your church was straight gospel?
JL: We had guitars…my father actually played the guitar…we had the Hammond B-3 Organ and washboards and foot-stomping.
NN: There’s not a ton of information about you out there. When you grew up you weren’t allowed to listen to mainstream music?
JL: I’m just now discovering…for the past 10 years…I’ve been listening to the same 66 songs. Now I’m slowing introducing myself to new music. There’s a lot of artists who I know but couldn’t name one song.
NN: That has to be overwhelming.
JL: I just stick myself in the ’80s. I’m good, I’m fine.
NN: You got to work with Debbie Harry. How did you connect with her?
JL: When I met her…I can’t tell you what she told me in my ear but…not (exactly) like a passing of the torch, but it was “you’ve got the funk, and you’ve got the edge. Be true to who you are.” I’m forever grateful for that.
Catch the rest of this incredible interview with Just Loud below. Stick around for bonus material with Bay Area magician Chin Chin.