Q+A with singer songwriter Justin Fabus on his new single, playing sold out shows in London, and performing at Jon Bon Jovi’s bar
Last year singer songwriter Justin Fabus had an amazing trip to London. He played two sold out shows, which led to writing and recording his latest country pop single “Moment I Knew.” He has accomplished so much in his career.
From opening for New Kids On The Block at PPG Paints Arena to being asked to play at Jon Bon Jovi’s bar in Nashville, the Pittsburgh native is humble and stays true to his roots. He’s headlined Pittsburgh Light Up Night, Picklesburgh, and so many more prime events.
Over a phone interview, I talked with Justin about his new single, playing sold out shows in London, and performing at Jon Bon Jovi’s bar.
Starting out
Josh: When did you start playing guitar?
Justin: I’ve been playing guitar since around 18. I started playing to help my songwriting. I wanted to take that next step. Billy Joel was the reason why I got into music.
Josh: I saw that you were invited to his MSG concerts by his team!
J: Yeah I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the guys in Billy Joel’s band, which is obviously a huge honor and a dream of mine. I worked with Carl Fischer, who played on my album “Remedy,” and guitarist Tommy Byrnes. We wrote some songs together that should be coming out soon. In my opinion, Billy Joel’s band is the best band out there. Next to them is the E Street Band for Bruce Springsteen.
Josh: Bruce Springsteen is my favorite artist of all time!
J: Oh yeah, I’m a huge Springsteen fan.
Playing shows in London
Josh: You’ve played shows in London. What was it like playing there?
J: It was incredible. It was my first time there and they treated me like I was The Rolling Stones (laughs).
Josh: (laughs) That’s awesome!
J: It’s funny, I’m actually more popular in the UK than here. I’ve been fortunate. It’s just perfect timing. The owners of Lil’ Nashville are huge country fans. They built this honky tonk venue that you swear would be from Nashville. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I’m in Nashville.’ I was one of the first artists from the United States to play there. We did two nights back to back. They were at max capacity. I felt so much love.
Pittsburgh shows
Josh: Any memorable shows stick out in Pittsburgh?
J: Pittsburgh’s been incredibly kind to me. One of the most memorable shows I played is PPG Paints Arena. I opened up for New Kids On The Block. To be able to play the arena in your hometown, that’s always a dream.
Josh: How did you feel standing on that stage? I’m sure you’ve been to a lot of shows at PPG.
J: Yeah, I’ve seen Billy Joel there. I’ve seen Springsteen there. I remember when they pulled the curtain back and I stepped out, with all the people there in the crowd. It took my breath away. That’s the only time that’s ever happened to me in my career. And Light Up Night was incredible. I got to open up for The Calling. I’ve been very blessed with my career and, you know, still got a lot left in the tank.
Josh: You recently sang the national anthem at the Penguins game.
J: Yeah, that was another honor, growing up as a huge Penguins fan. And being from Pittsburgh. It was country night, and they were kind enough to ask me to do it.
Original songs
Josh: Congrats on “Moment I Knew.”
J: Thank you. I wrote and recorded it in London with Jake Curran. It’s one of my favorite songs that I’ve written and recorded. It’s definitely got a good feel. It’s something different that I haven’t done before, and I’m very happy with it.
Josh: Did you write it on guitar or piano?
J: When I went to London, I remember writing most of it in the studio that day. The next morning, I rode in a cab over the London Bridge. I remember writing the last verse in the back of that cab.
Josh: Another cool one is “Me and Bon Jovi.”
J: Thank you. I’m a huge Bon Jovi fan. I had that title come to me one night. I wrote that with a buddy of mine, Erik Halbig, who’s played with Kenny Chesney. The guys in the Bon Jovi camp really loved it.
Josh: Oh really?!
J: I met Jon Bon Jovi in Nashville. I got asked to come and play at his bar, JBJs. They were doing the grand opening. The song just came out and everybody knew the words already. That’s always a dream, to be able to see people sing the words that you wrote. Writing songs is very intimate, and can be a very naked feeling because you’re putting something out there that everybody can critique. There’s always, ‘Oh, is this good enough?’ So, to have people sing it back to you—that’s another bucket list moment.
Josh: That’s gotta be a full circle moment. You’ve written so many songs.
J: They’re all very special to me, some do better in a live setting than others. They all had an importance at one time.
Josh: When you look back at your songs, it takes on different parts of your life.
J: Exactly. It’s a reminder of where you’ve been and what you’ve gone through and who you are today because of those things.
What’s next
Josh: What’s next?
J: There’s some songs that are already done. Just waiting for the perfect time to release them. And then working on writing new songs. I’m gonna go in the studio and record them, do a couple selected shows, and probably release some music.
You can find Justin’s music and learn more about him from his website, justinfabus.com. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates, and check out his YouTube!
Check out last month’s band of the month here!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
