Jagwar Twin, formally known as Roy English, is a singer from California. The alternative, rock and pop sounds form the basis of Jagwar Twin’s music. Following on from a massive career success, including supporting Thirty Seconds to Mars on their European and US legs of the ‘Seasons World Tour’,as well as having a number of hit singles including: Loser ,which totalled 100k streams in its first 24 hours, Happy Face which gained over 70 million streams and finally his most successful single to date hit to date Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa), which reached number 24 on Billboard's Hot Alternative Songs chart. The Mic's Alice Hitchens sat down with English to discuss a range of topics including Jagwar Twin’s music, Roy’s own life and personal struggles as a musician, touring with Thirty Seconds to Mars and his upcoming projects and what he has been up to since finishing touring with Mars.
Click HERE to check out the interview on Spotify!
Q. The name Jagwar Twin is really interesting... where did the name come from and what does it mean?
The Jaguar in Mayan mythology is the creature who looks into the darkness of itself and others but then is able to pull people out of that into the light. The ‘Twin’ part is the light and dark or polarity of all things, such as light from darkness or darkness from light, and really the balancing of a force.
Q. Obviously before creating Jawgar Twin you were known as Roy English in the music world- did you think rebranding was necessary in order to create a new chapter in your music or did you think the change was natural as you shifted into a new genre/ time in your life?
I [Roy] wanted the new project to be less about me. Before when having my name, it felt so focused on me and breaking out and being a solo artist and it was just me behind the music and making it. However, I wanted the new project to be a reflection of whoever else was listening and experiencing the music. I wanted something that was bigger than myself.
Q. What music did you listen to growing up?
I had an ADD type listening style, like most of us do in this current age, but I mean everything from Celtic lullabies to African drum music. My mum was really into world music so she would listen to all sorts of stuff from all over the world which was a big influence on me. I also always loved Disney musicals and there’s an element of that in Jagwar Twin’s music, which you can hear in the songs there is a sort of playfulness which comes from movies such as The Nightmare Before Christmas. I was also really into pop music, I loved Michael Jackson, NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys but also, I loved Biggie, Tupac, but I listen[ed] to so many different things, and now when I listen to Jagwar Twin I can hear all the different influences that have crept in from different genres I listened to.
I love being able to do that and infiltrate pop music and blast people with a healing frequency as they are singing along to ‘Oompa Lompa’ (or whatever song). Its just such a funny polarity.
Q. What got you into the idea of making music?
When I was really young I acted, but I wasn’t very good at it, I didn’t have the confidence as an actor but there was something that I wanted to express and I think music allowed me to be in my own space and my own world and create these worlds by myself such as writing lyrics or playing on GarageBand as a kid and make beats and stuff and that’s what really started out the idea of me wanting to make music. But I think all artists start out with something inside us and this desire to express something inside us which you can’t really explain in words, but music was a vehicle for that.
Q. In a lot of your songs, you use a 444hz sound frequency- when or why did you decided to use that in your music and what is the importance of healing frequencies in your music?
I got into meditation around 2015 and dove into it so like questioning the nature of reality which led me to different healing frequencies. Then I thought ‘Oh Wow’ could I tune my music to 444Hz or 432Hz or a different healing frequency. It was a bit of an undertaking at first, but then with Jagwar Twin, I figured out a way to do it and it’s been really cool. It is a subtle difference, but I really hear the difference in my songs. I could listen to them at the normal 40Hz which is what most music is tuned to but there is just a difference wit 44hz and it feels more resonant but its hard to put into words the difference it makes you feel. So, I love being able to do that and infiltrate pop music and blast people with a healing frequency as they are singing along to ‘Oompa Lompa’ ,or whatever song. Its just such a funny polarity.
Q. I love your song ‘Soul Is A Star’ and I got to see it performed live, what made you decide to perform it in an acoustic setting rather than how it originally appears on the album ‘33’
I’m so Glad you were able to come along to some of the shows. A Soul Is A Star is one of my favourite songs that I’ve ever written and to me it so beautiful and obviously I am slightly biased. But during these Thirty Seconds to Mars shows I wanted to strip that song back to just the lyric and the melody and pull people into the story. Usually as an opener, we are playing these big arenas and there is only a short amount of time to perform as you don’t get a full hour or hour and a half as a headliner would. So, I thought what could I do in that short amount of time that helps pull people into the story of A Soul Is A Star. The song itself really is just a story about all of us and I just wanted to strip that back to the essence of that story and have a connecting point with the audience but also with myself. I treat that song almost as a prayer.
Q. I’m so glad and grateful to have watched you at the Nottingham, London and Birmingham shows and I think bands having as support acts as it allows people to discover new artists and also new genres of music- what have been a few of your favourite things working with Mars and also what has touring with them done for you as an artist?
It was such a great opportunity to be able to tour with a band that I’ve listened to since I was a young kid. They were just so great to me and my whole crew. Their fans also were so openminded and loving and accepting and it really made us feel like we were right at home which is so great cause that’s not always the case. Sometimes you may open for a band and their fans aren’t as receptive, so it says a lot not only about the band being such great humans, also their fanbase being so awesome and receptive. It was such beautiful experience and I’m very very grateful towards all of them and the way we were treated on tour. They went over and above to make sure we were taken care of everyday and I have nothing but amazing things to say about the whole thing.
Q. At the 30 Seconds To Mars shows you talked about the struggles of being a musician and having to move back in with your parents- how did you stay positive during moments like that and also what kept you on the tracks of doing music and not giving up and has It made you more grateful for moments and things since e.g. supporting 30stm?
I am so incredibly grateful for everything that is happening now. I think I kept going partly because I wouldn’t know what else to do, and if I’m honest there was always something in me that knew everything would be ok and I would make it and be successful, but it was a tiny whisper voice that I think we all have it in us like a true voice that knows things that are beyond knowing. But obviously there are the louder voices that try to tell us you’re a failure and it will never work out and you’re crazy which are in your head. But I think I’m also very blessed to have great friends and family around me who even at the low points were telling you You’ve got this and it will work out of you and I think that was such a blessing because I couldn’t imagine having no one who even looks at you or supports or believes in you and that was a huge blessing through it all and yeah you’re right it does make me appreciate things so much now and take nothing for granted like being able to create music every day and go on these tours and working on a new album its just such a blessing. Its also a blessing just to be able to go to the grocery store and buy food.
Q. I mean it couldn’t have been easy and it’s good to hear you had such a good support network because it would have been harder to come back when everyone had doubted you
Yeah exactly. There are always going to be doubters and there are people who said that and felt that about me but my core were always so supportive. At one point I just remember looking at my keychain which had all my keys which were keys for people’s houses in L.A who were friends who said 'Hey if I’m not here you can stay at my place’ or ‘You can crash on my couch tonight’ and what a blessing that was.
On my Instagram I have some fans enter and ask some questions for Roy which he was happy to answer so thank you to everyone who submitted a question!
Q. Lily from Peru asks, ‘how long since you started in the music business?’
I guess it must have been in 2005 when I started being a young teenager that started playing in bands and my first tours were probably in high school. It’s been a long time whatever the math is on that… Its like 20 plus years or something like that It’s been so long its crazy.
Q. Debi asks ‘you talk a lot about spirituality, have you had any spiritual experiences
Everything is s spiritual experience. I mean everyday there is something if you look for it even if its waking up every morning being here, or looking at it like waking up from a dream and living this experience its pretty cool.
Q. Lucy from the UK asks, ‘How did Thirty Seconds To Mars get to know you as an artist?’
That’s a good question. I think the first time I met Jared [Leto] was on the red carpet at the iHeart Awards. My song had just entered the top 40 charts in America on the radio and my publicist was like ‘OK you have to go to the iHeart Awards’, and I was really nervous to walk the red carpet with all the paparazzi there. But I did that and there were people like Beyonce and Katy Perry walking there and all these other people. But then I saw Jared and something just told me to go up to him and say hello and he was very kind and we took a picture together and so I think that was the first time we met. Then shortly after that probably a few weeks later I found out that they were looking for some support for the tour and we had some mutual friends too, and it kind of worked out that way I think they then checked out the music.
Q. Erika in Florida asks what further tour plans do you have?
At the moment I’m working on my album, and a bunch of songs to release, for the rest of the year. So, I don’t think I’ll be touring for the rest of this year but I definitely want to do a headliner coming up soon so maybe some time in the New Year.
Q. Following on from the conversation of tours and your band touring, what is your dream venue to play as an artist- whether it’s one you’ve already played and want to go back to or want to play in the future?
I would love to play the Hollywood Bowl; I would love to headline it here in Los Angles.
Q. So, what is next for Jagwar Twin?
It is really the album right now and a bunch of singles and making some really really cool art and I just can’t wait to share this new music that I have. I was so inspired after the last tour that I came home and wrote about 19 songs in 9 days right when I got back from the Mars tour just feeling really inspired by it all so I cant wait to share that with the world!
Q. Will it be similar to your other 2 albums or is it taking a different direction?
I’m just going more deep into the Slavic roots and the digital circus thing that ‘Happy Face’ started and then we went deeper into it with Bad Feeling (oompa Loompa). So yeah, just going deeper into that and exploring all the ways which that sound can be manipulated and tweaked and brought into new forms and ideas.
Alice Hitchens
Photos courtesy of Jagwar Twin's Facebook
Video courtesy of Jagwar Twin's Youtube
Edited by Ross Williams
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