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

Alright, Rob thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Over my 20 years performing and working in the music industry, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most talented men and women who have constantly inspired me, both on-stage and in the studio. I’ve seen success with various bands and released half a dozen records along the way, but in 2018 I was on my own for the first time. I dealt with a great deal of depression and self doubt as I was faced with the decision to continue on my journey alone or to give up on music all together. Because of the support of my wife and friends, I worked up the courage to enter the studio and begin work on my first solo album, “Expatriate”. The process took almost two years and at times I felt like a trapeze without a safety net, as I navigated the songwriting and recording process without the support system of a band. The record eventually was finished and released in March of 2020, and the weight of six songs that I wanted to share with the world was finally lifted from my soul. Looking back five years later as I prepare to enter the studio again, “Expatriate” means so much to me because it is proof positive that I am capable of writing, recording, and releasing an album of deeply personal music all on my own. While I still prefer the comfortable collaboration of working with other musicians and artists, I finally proved to myself and my inner demons that I could indeed make it on my own.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve worked in the music industry as a singer, songwriter, producer, session musician, technician, and tour manager, all the while putting my passion for music into every facet of that career. While I’ll never call myself a great singer or musician, I feel that that the energy I bring to a project can more than make up for that deficiency. As a child, I was raised in musical household. My father is an amateur musician and both of my parents shared their love of music with me from my earliest age. As I became a teenager, I started learning guitar, formed my first bands, and performed live for the first time. The music was loud and terrible, I was young and dumb, and I loved every second of it.

A few years later in 2009, I was extended the opportunity to make a career in music on the curtain, working as a crew member for an internationally touring band. Over the following fifteen years I was given the chance to see the world on tour, the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. I came away with a deep understanding and passion for the craft of music and concert production, all of which I wanted to imbue into my own music.

Beginning in 2010, I had my greatest stretch of success when I formed the band Asphalt Grey with my friends Ronnie, Alyssa, Lee, and Zakk. We released three albums in six years, had brushes with major record labels, toured around the eastern US, and performed our energetic and frantic original music at venues large and small. After that band came to end I began new projects including organizing local concert events, and producing other artists, while also continuing to perform my own music solo and in the passion project The Buzz & The Hum.

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

In 2025, the spaces that allow musicians to perform before a crowd of strangers are disappearing fast. Many of the venues in New York City and New Jersey that I used to frequent have gone the way of the dodo. Similarly, the rise of streaming music and the decline of physical media does not allow the vast majority of artists to make a living off of selling their music.

In response, it’s crucial for musicians to create supportive communities and collectives to help each grow as artists. Open mics and DIY venues/concerts are excellent examples of this; safe spaces were musicians young and old can share their music, build connections, and hone their skills in front of others.

Similarly, supporting independent artists or even those signed to labels through other means is super important. If you go to a concert and are introduced to a new band that you like, support them by buying a shirt or a CD from their merch table. Spread the word to your friends a listen to them on streaming while continuing to engage with them on social media. These are just a few small ways that fans and patrons can stay active in supporting an artist. In those ways, we can support artists even if society as a whole or the realities of concerts do not care about them.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Deep down, I feel that my music is made for an audience of one: me. While I’m blessed to have people that enjoy my music and have supported my creative journey along the way, but in the end I write and perform music because I have an inherent need to do so. Whether it’s the adrenaline rush of playing live or the deep passion for developing a piece in the studio, the act of writing a song is deeply personal thing. You are revealing your deepest thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams for every listener to experience along with you. It means so much to me when someone that I know and/or respect says that they love the lyrics to a song I wrote or have it’s melody stuck in their head, but even if it is a love song about my wife or a commentary on an outside situation, the reality is that I wrote it to have a weight lifted off of my shoulders or to get something off my chest. If the lyrics or music resonate with someone else, it’s simply a bonus to me.

If the day comes that I’ve said all I need to say, I can rest peacefully knowing that I had the platform to do so. Truthfully, there have been spells where inspiration has dried up or I am stuck in a songwriting drought, but eventually the rain comes and I’m washed away in music once again. Everyone is is just along for the ride.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/janosexpatriate
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/janosexpatriate
• Other: Bandcamp:
  janosexpatriate.bandcamp.com

Image Credits

n/a