To Exist
slave for the art
Written and Photographed by James Alan Duran
Justin Sanchez is an American musician originally from Katy, Texas and currently residing in Torrance, California. Quickly adopted into LA’s music scene, Sanchez performs in prominent local groups Box Dreams & Jean Mors, while also making music for his Texas-rooted solo project, Box. In January 2020, Box digitally released their latest LP ‘Expense To Exist’
Before COVID-19 took over everyone's life, I met up with Justin at his apartment in Torrance, CA where we had a couple beers, shot some photos, and talked music. We followed up with a quick email interview afterwards talking about ‘Expense to Exist’, moving from LA to TX, and the best way to spend quarantine.
What’s the best way to spend a Friday night?
As of quarantine, binge-watch shows on Netflix!
So, Texas to Los Angeles, pretty big move but not unheard of, what made you want to join us hustlers on the west coast?
The hustle is real out here man! The main reason was to be with my now-fiance, Christina. Moving over here I know art is a huge thing so those two go hand-in-hand. I’ve got a cool environmentally friendly job now too which is another plus.
That’s so sick! How long have you been making and playing music?
Since I was in 6th grade. The one song to teach me to read tabs was Crazy Train.
Let’s get into your new LP, ‘Expense To Exist’ was released digitally in January, how long had you been working on the record prior to release?
Started working on it in TX unknowingly. The first song I wrote on it was Twizz which was probably one of the last songs I wrote in TX (maybe). At the time I was just writing about whatever. That was back in late 2017 so maybe like slightly over 2 and half years.
Did you record it completely solo?
It was definitely solo from the start of writing it but when I moved to Long Beach, I met Robbie Arroyo on an app called Vampr (it’s like Tinder but you swipe-right to musicians and their portfolio) and my Uber driver Luis. After meeting them it became a lot more collaborative. Creative ol’ fellows.
On your Bandcamp, the lyrics of ‘Expense To Exist’ are described as “Storytelling lyrics questioning where to go from here, taking advice from strangers, learning to survive, living in misfortune and moving forward into the unknown.” Would you say this LP has an underlying coming-of-age theme to it, or maybe a being-of-age and figuring it all out theme?
Yeah I think it was definitely both. I took a risk moving out here without a job and just to kinda use love as a foundation to move out here. I wasn’t sad or depressed but I did have anxiety of some sort and I think those feelings of paranoia or anxiety would kind of mess with me sometimes even leaving me to panic. Living in a completely new place is a very scary but exciting feeling too so I think all of that gets translated at some point throughout the album. I really didn’t know how it was going to play out, I focused on the present and tried to get some sort of financial stability first and foremost. The strangers were like my friends I made like who stuck with me now or random people showing me how to get around town or even my own extended family who I knew but didn’t grow up with. I was so new being out here coming from the suburbs and I was kinda like “alright let’s see what happens” haha. I’m still learning how to live on my own. Hopefully it’s working LOL.
In addition to your music with Box, you also perform with Jeans Mors & Box dreams, both of which have had some decent buzz in LA, how did that transpire?
I met Luis from an Uber ride to the airport. I had a work trip and he picked me up and we talked about bands from Torrance (like Joyce Manor). Then after playing with him and meeting up every week for Jean Mors practice I eventually met Adam from Box Dreams and we started playing shows. Coincidence we both had “Box” as our moniker.
How does making music with Jean Mors + Box Dreams differ from your solo project? Do you have a different workflow?
It’s actually kind of similar, Luis would just call me in if he needed help with some sort of instrumentation. Sometimes it would be sporadic because there would be a bunch of us in the studio that night and he’d want us to use these chords he liked and we’d loop it with the computer recording. It’s cool being a part of it.
Box Dreams is pretty similar to that too. I’d lay a guitar line down and he’d do his experimental dreamy shit to it then all of a sudden it’d become a dancy ass song. It’s impressive what these guys can do.
What’s one thing the universe needs to know about Justin Sanchez and Box?
Fight for that shit. Slave for the art.
