Every year in March, Horse of the Year comes to Hastings in good ol’ sunny Hawke’s Bay. If anyone knows me well they will know I adore horses, and that I will take any chance I can get to go for a boogie. So when I found out Horse of the Year were holding their first ever after party, I jumped at the chance. Going to horse related events during the day, and then grooving at night? Yes please! An added bonus was that the headlining act was Auckland based musicians Jupiter Project, consisting of Marty Rich and Gavin Correia, who I have blasted from my radio numerous times with their summer Sessions on ZM radio. They have just released their latest single You and Me; arrived back from writing and recording in Sydney last week; and at the end of last year were doing the same in America, so to say the boys are busy is an understatement. So when I was given the opportunity to hang out and talk with them before their set I was delighted.

How did Jupiter Project start?

Marty: I think like most things when you are at Uni, procrastination. We were studying at the time, we were just procrastinating, getting away from doing what we were meant to be doing. He (Gavin) was a singer-songwriter and I was doing music production, and we just jammed, had some fun.

Gavin: We met at parties! And it made itself into something productive, which was surprising.

Marty: It did take us a couple of years, but it got there.

So what were you guys originally studying for?

Gavin: I was studying law and economics.

Marty: I was studying to be a chiropractor. We both graduated. But now we are just focused on music.

What’s it like balancing a music career?

Gavin: It’s like anything, it comes in waves. Sometimes you have a lot of show time and sometimes you have like a lot of studio time, and you just kinda have to balance it between writing your songs and then playing your songs, you know? Because one can’t survive without the other.

What do you guys do when you are not being Jupiter Project?

Gavin: I watch a lot of sport.

Ria: What’s your favourite sport?

Gavin: Cricket. So right now I’m going crazy! I am in my element.

Marty: Probably sleeping. 

Priorities? Money, fame, fulfilling musical career?

Gavin: I guess, it’s like, you know, just being able to do something you love and making a living off that, that’s pretty cool. I guess everybody wants to be, you know, financially secure, so that helps, but yeah, just doing something that you actually wake up and you wanna do it, you’re not dreading it. 

What is the process when you create your music? 

Marty: It’s all pretty different. There’s so many different ways you can be inspired by something. You could start with a lyric, but most of the time we start off with a beat, an instrumental and we kind of write our vocals over the top. 

Gavin: You can get a lot of good ideas at really random times, you could be driving, or in the shower. We always record stuff, ideas on our phones and see if an idea comes to life from that. 

Marty: It’s quite embarrassing when you plug your phone in… 

Gavin: Yeah, at a party! (Laughs)

Marty: And you just hear tododododo! (Laughs) 

What instruments do you play?

Gavin: I started playing guitar. Guitar, I sing, some keyboard stuff.

Marty: Mainly keys, and production.

What or who inspires you when making music?

Marty: Oh, that’s a tough one. I think, everything. I know everything is so vague. But I think a lot of the time at the moment it’s to do with relationships.

Gavin: Friends, family, everything. What’s going on around you; what stage of life you are at; if you are really excited about something that translates into your music.

Marty: But, but, but, but, I was listening to Michael Jackson last night, he has a song called Earth Song, that’s awesome! I was kinda thinking like diversifying the spectrum right now. Earth Song! How awesome is that? It’s not about a relationship, so you can expect to hear something a bit more…

Gavin: Environmental sustainable! Something a bit more left field!

(Both Laugh)

In December you were in America, creating music, what was that like?

Gavin: It’s great! It’s good because when you go over there you know it’s great to get inspired and you end up coming back with so many new ideas and you learn so many things as well, because you are exposed to a whole different music scene, so it’s pretty cool.

Marty: I mean America is pretty much the polar opposite of New Zealand. You learn, you get immersed in it, and they all appreciate over there what we are about. So, it’s really cool to have that point of difference when we are there.

You shot your latest music video for You & Me at Salton Sea. What made you choose that particular location?

Marty: Wow! Not a lot of people know that! 

Gavin: How did you find that out?

Ria: I did a fair bit of research on you guys, thought I should go for gold!

Marty: Awesome! That’s real good!

Gavin: Well the idea was Brian Christ’s (director) idea. He is based in L.A, so they kinda know California really well. When we were talking about the idea, he said he had the perfect place and we were like Mmmmm really? He kinda wanted to like surprise us, he would send us a few photos and we were like this is cool, but you have to like be there and have that reaction for the first time because it’s a pretty special place.

Marty: It’s an awesome awesome awesome place.

Gavin: It’s a tourist resort cuz there’s like a lake there and then everything kinda dried up.

Marty: So the whole place, it’s like a ghost town, nothing there. It was really cool to be there.

How much in-put did you have in the music video process?

Marty: So we started with a brief, just telling him (Brian Christ) where we wanted to go, that we wanted the visuals to relate to the spirit of the song. And it spans from that.

Gavin: I think, as an artist, you’ve gotta have a good input because it’s your video you know? It’s gotta be about what the songs about and what you visualise when you write the song. But at the same time you don’t want to strangle someone else’s creativity, like the director, so you’ve got to let him do his things. And he’s great (Brian Christ), we did our previous video with him as well, so he nailed that. And we were really confident in what he could do.

Are you very selective in who you pick to collaborate with?

Marty: Yeah, definitely.

Gavin: Absolutely, but you wanna like embrace different artists as well to get something totally different. We are an electronic kinda group but we write with indie folk musicians, it adds something completely different, and that’s what we want, we don’t want to do the same thing all the time.

You guys opened up for Jessie J last week, what was that like?

Marty: Excellent!

Gavin: It was great!

Ria: Did you meet her? Because I adore her.

Marty: We didn’t get a chance to meet her. I mean, she’s incredibly busy. And she had a crazy schedule. It was a pretty cool show though.

Who is your favourite artist you have opened up for or shared the stage with?

Together: Skrillex.

Marty: His music’s awesome, his showmanship is awesome, but he is also a really cool guy.

Gavin: I think that is something we learnt. You can learn about being a musician and you can learn about being a person. I swear for that two days when I went onto my Facebook, everyone in Auckland had a selfie with him. He was just so approachable, he never said no to anyone, he talked to everyone, he listened to everyone and he works so hard. He came and played a show at Cassette Nine, and then he did a set on George FM, then he played a show in his green room. So he was playing for the V.I.P people and then he played at the after show at Roxie, and then he flew out in the morning. He just loves music.

Marty: He is just a great character, that’s why he is our favourite.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time with this music career?

Gavin: You know how people have goals, I don’t do that. I just focus on now. You only have today, take care of today, do what you can today and then five years’ time it will be a bunch of today’s strung together. But, hopefully still doing music.

Marty: Absolutely, the same.

What is next in line for Jupiter Project?

Marty: We are working on a bunch of new singles at the moment. We were just in Sydney last week and we were recording and writing with other artists back there. So we will have some exciting new stuff to share soon.

Getting the opportunity to talk with Gavin and Marty was a wonderful experience. They are both really down to earth guys and I appreciate them letting my friends and myself hang out with them for the evening. Their set list was fantastic and so was their showmanship, from talking to the crowd, lighting fireworks in wine bottles and jumping into the audience. These guys knew how to engage and encourage. A highlight for the crowd, due to the deafening cries that evolved, was the song Stand Up For The Champions by Right Said Fred, which Horse of the Year have claimed as their own personal theme tune.

I certainly enjoyed dancing non-stop for over two hours to their selection of music, and if noise control hadn’t have turned up, I gladly would have danced for another few hours. Thanks again guys for the wonderful evening, and I hope you got to ride on those horses you were promised!

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