Music is an inherent part of human nature.
It’s been used in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons, but most important is the fact that music is a way to channel personal expression on a more relatable level.
For junior Ismael “Izzy” Loya, a Broadcast major here at Pepperdine, music is the perfect way to channel his creativity with fellow band members of Jonny Come Lately and audiences privy to their live performances.
The four-member band describes themselves as a fusion band because of their wide-range of influences.
“Without a doubt our sound is rock fusion,” Loya said. “We started out as rockabilly band, then got into ska and reggae. And because I like the blues, we started incorporating that.”
When Loya describes the band as fusion, he means it. Along with these genres, the band has integrated guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Julian Johnson’s fascination with Eastern musical influences.
Twins Julian and Adrian Johnson, guitarist and stand-up bassist, and Angela Bass, drummer, have been friends since elementary school and formed a band together in junior high.
“We’ve been playing together since we were sophomores in high school,” Loya said. “It’s nice to have that comfort of knowing them for so long. I can show them anything, and we’re all on the same page.”
Loya’s passion for the band and for music is evident in the way he describes their experiences in the industry thus far.
“We like to experiment in the studio, but there are limits to what can be done live,” Loya said. “So, we make sure not to get too experimental because we have to be able to do the same thing live.”
It’s this desire to be authentic performers that gives them respect for bands who can sound just as amazing on record as they can on stage and gives Jonny Come Lately inspiration to hone their craft.
“We respect musicians that have good records from the studio,” Loya said. “But we really respect bands that can do what they do in their albums live.”
When it comes to live shows, Jonny Come Lately likes to get the crowd involved.
“We play the best shows when there are a lot of dancers,” Loya said. “[We want] people to dance and groove to our music.”
The band has been blessed with a growing fan base ever since their television debut.
“We’ve had a pretty big following, especially because we were on ‘American’s Got Talent’ when we were 16,” Loya said. “We really learned a lot because we were thrown into it [the music industry].”
Although they didn’t win the season’s competition for “American’s Got Talent,” their experience on the show has benefitted their growth as a band because of the exposure they received.
“We’re not afraid of any show because we jumped into such a big stage so early,” Loya said.
The band, now based out of Los Angeles, plays shows around town as much as possible to share their music with people and gain more exposure. They’ve played a string of shows at the Malibu Inn and are looking to become a more permanent fixture.
“Malibu Inn wants to make us a house band on Tuesdays,” Loya said. “It’ll be great for us and great for students because they’ll have a place that’s close to campus to go listen to good music.”
For Jonny Come Lately, the doors of opportunity don’t look to be closing any time soon. Their next show is Nov. 18 at the R Bar in Koreatown. Check it out; it’ll be worth it.
