Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Austen Gray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Austen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first discovered that I had some kind of musical talent around second or third grade when I started singing. It was also around that time that “American Idiot” by Green Day had first come out and started making the rounds on the local NY/NJ radio stations. When I first heard that song (and the single “Wake Me Up When September Ends from the same album) I knew then and there that music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I picked up guitar officially at age 10, taught myself for 5 years how to play through YouTube, did a couple of solo gigs, and eventually started taking lessons for more advanced music around age 16. Shortly thereafter, I started Joker’s Republic and began writing songs that would eventually turn into the bands first EP “Anti-Social Media”.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Joker’s Republic is a Ska Punk Power Trio based out of Essex County, NJ. We’ve put out three releases since our inception in 2015 (the most recent of which produced by Roger Lima from Less Than Jake / Rehasher). In a style of music dominated by massive bands filled with big horn sections, we think that a big part of what sets us apart is keeping the band to a three-piece. I feel like it makes the band accessible to people who aren’t super into Ska but DO like things like blink-182 or Green Day.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In the case of music, the best thing people can do to keep the scene alive is actually come out to see live music on stage at the clubs/venues. Streaming and downloads are great and convenient, but the best way to support your friends/local artists is to actually go out, see them, and maybe even buy some merch directly from the artist if you’re enjoying the show!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I get to do what I love and share that with other likeminded people. As much as I would love to one day make a sustainable living off of my art, the reason I do what I do boils down to how it makes me feel when I’m up on stage and people are dancing/moshing to the music. For a time, being up on stage was the only time I felt like “me”.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jokersrepublic.com
• Instagram: @jokersrepublic
• Facebook: Facebook.com/jokersrepublicband
• Linkedin: N/A
• Twitter: @jokersrepublic
• Youtube: YouTube.com/jokersrepublicband
• Yelp: N/A
• Other: TikTok: @jokersrepublic

Image Credits
Fake Famous Photography (live shots) Ed Mulligan (album artwork)