We were lucky to catch up with Justin Franklin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

so I originally started DJing back in 2013 when I first watch Ultra music festival in Miami. I had already been musically trained for some years at that point through being in band since the 5th grade, so I had a little bit of a head start in terms of understanding the musicality of djing. once I got my first dj mixer, I just started playing around with the music I was currently listening to at that time. Over time I began to realize “oh, this song and that song are in the same key! I bet they would sound nice together”. fast forward to 2019, and I began my producer journey. the real learning curve began when I dove into producing. it has a lot of growing pains you have to go through in order to really know what you’re doing. I eventually applied and got accepted into ICON Collective college of music in Los Angeles, California in 2022, which took my production and creativity to levels that would’ve taken years to achieve alone. I could have started producing sooner to when I started DJing. I actually had a trial version of FL studio back when I was still learning how to DJ, but the learning curve along with not really liking the how the software was setup, made me lose interest at that time. The skills I found to be the most crucial, was really being organized when producing. it makes finding things super quick and efficient when you’re in the zone of creating something.

Justin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

of course! I go by the name of JFRANK. I am a DJ and producer. I’ve been DJing for 10+ years and producing for 6 years. my job is to connect with my audience through my music, that also tells my story. I have released several songs on all major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. I primarily make Electronic Dance Music, and more specifically bass music/dubstep. I think what separates me is the fact that a lot of my friends and colleagues within that music scene are focused on making the hardest and loudest track possible with little to no melodic content with their music. naturally, I wanted to go the opposite way and create something that is filled interesting chord progressions and Catchy leads, while also keeping the heavy bass aspect. My greatest accomplishments have been things like graduating from ICON Collective in LA, as well as having the honor and privilege to be apart of all 3 major Disco Donnie Texas festivals like Lights All Night, Ubbi Dubbi and Freaky Deaky Music festival.

If I had to describe my brand, it would be as a bass artist whose world blends emotive storytelling, high-energy sound design, and cinematic atmosphere. It’s not just music — it’s a journey through a neon-soaked universe where the mind and heart battle for control of the soul.
My brand thrives at the intersection of human vulnerability and digital intensity, balancing raw emotion with futuristic aesthetic.

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

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCENE! I know a lot of people, regardless if you’re just now getting into dance music, or you’re a vet within your scene, only go to support the big headliners when they come to your local area. but a lot of the same people forget about the locals who either support these bigger artist, or who throw their own shows. Remember, those big headliners were also locals at one point in their careers. Steve Aoki started with creating his own house parties back in the day, which took him decades to become what he is today. moral of the story; go support your local djs and producers! you could be potentially watching the next big thing before people even realize it. and coming from an artist perspective, that initial support is so appreciated, its beyond words. its so appreciated because genuine love and support can be so hard to come by nowadays.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

just like what Juice WLRD once said “I want to change the world”. that’s all I want. I want to be able to make a song without a single word in it, and still be able to connect with someone in the world. I want them to be able to say “there were no words, but I understood every moment of it”. music is a universal language right? I want to be able to another piece of proof to that statement.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfrankmusicofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JFrankofficial
• Twitter: https://x.com/Jfrankofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jfrank_official

Image Credits

photos by @shotbypreston and @vveiwei_ on Instagram