IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Photocomfort

Layering her soft, gorgeous voice on top of keyboard/synth, guitar, bass, and drums, Photocomfort creates a sound resembling an upbeat tranquility. Photocomfort, formed and based in Boston, Massachusetts, showcases the unbeatable musical and personal charisma of Justine Bowe. She released her first single, “Not Love,” on July 24, 2015, subsequently followed by “Slowdance,” “Hit, Run,” “More,” and most recently, “Just Like Home” on July 24, 2017. Not only has she shared the stage with notable artists including Magic Man and The Novel Ideas, she has also performed at the CMJ Music Marathon and Communion Residency in New York City, in addition to Rock On Fest. She recently wrapped up a mini East Coast tour with Bad Bad Hats, making a stop at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn.

Taking a pause from her everyday life, Justine generously shared some time to chat about the creation of “Just Like Home,” her favorite superhero character, and what the “Photocomfort” drink would feature.

What’s the story behind your talent and passion for music?

I don’t know if there’s much a story, really. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do for a long time. My sister and my dad both played piano. We had a piano in the house. When I was old enough to express a desire, I said I wanted to play it, but really rebelled all throughout my lessons. I did not have a harmonious teaching situation, so I’m really shocked that I kept with it all really, because I simply would not practice and did not want to go to lessons or anything like that. At some point, I kind of quit, and then sort of came back to it and had pretty much forgotten everything, and then retaught it to myself in a more intuitive way that allowed me to improvise a little bit more. When it came to a time when I could sit down and play and make things up as I was going, that was really cool for me. I became super passionate about it, and I was in bands in high school and throughout college. Pretty much as soon as I graduated from college, I went on tour. It’s been a lot of music.

What sparked your interest in music, both playing and listening?

Well, certainly, it has to do a lot with there being music in the house. I don’t think that can be underestimated. My mom is a pretty big music fan, so I didn’t really enjoy it per se as a teen, but she made me listen to stuff that she thought I should know about. She would kind of force me to listen to Simon & Garfunkel, and she would like force me to listen to Leonard Cohen. Now though, they are kind of my favorite things. I can appreciate that, but I what really made a difference was having a friend group that was just obsessed. Everybody played in bands, and we were just wasting our lives wondering what the next Radiohead record would sound like. That was the thing at the time.

You just released a new song, “Just Like Home”, on July 24. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing it?

I haven’t really thought about answering questions about that song because I never intended to release it; I wrote it as both a writing exercise and to try to make the money. It's totally unlike my other tunes since it’s like a super happy, upbeat thing when you get the chorus and you get the hook on the first listen. It's the kind of concept that people might want to use it in a lot of different applications, especially commercial ones. Writing a versatile pop song like this isn't something I had previously devoted any time to, but it was actually really fun because I was not really attached to any of the production with a vision in a way I was like, I’m doing something cool! I was like, let’s just do the damn thing, and put these ukulele sounding guitars.” It was super weird when it ended up on Teen Mom because I had just come back from New York, where I was shooting a video for something I’m going to release pretty soon, and one of the kids on set whom I had never met before was like, “I just got a job at Teen Mom.” And the next day, I got an email that said, “Your music’s going to be on Teen Mom.” No connection between the two. How crazy is that?! It was very strange.

Who are some of your prominent musical influences?

That is a good question. I would say that I have a lot of touch points I refer to on a day-to-day basis, but I prefer to surround myself in quiet. A typical day, I’ll play piano for an hour or two, and that’s like enough noise for me. When I was growing up, it was the time of the indie rock band, so back then, that was like Radiohead, The National, and Grizzly Bear. Nowadays, I’m really obsessed with Big Thief, Angel Olsen, and stuff like that.

While on the road, what are some of your essential tour items?

I really like to eat healthy, so I try to bring a bunch of snacks and try to do some grocery shopping. I used to bring candles everywhere; I think I’m over that a little bit. At this point, I try to pack very light. I don’t really need stuff anymore, I don’t know why.

If you weren’t a musical artist, what would you see yourself doing?

Well, I have another job, and I like it. I would probably see myself doing that. I work with a sustainable coffee growing program; I enjoy working in conservation and sustainability. I think that’s pretty cool. I also like that it has to do with coffee because I’m a big coffee fan.

What are some of your favorite restaurants and/or foods in Boston that you'd recommend?

I feel like I gotta plug the local taqueria chain, which is Anna’s Taqueria. It’s just kind of an obsession around here. It’s a brand loyalty thing. It’s fine, I’m not saying it’s the best; I’m just loyal to it. I also really like Veggie Galaxy. There’s some good pizza. I love the regional chain Bertucci’s. I don’t think I necessarily have the classy food recommendations, but I have a lot of loyalty for local brands because I’m very into that.

Who is your favorite superhero character, and why?

I think I’m a Batman fan because he’s just like, human. He’s got no superpowers; he’s just really rich. The idea is that, he could be anybody.

If there were a drink with the name “Photocomfort”, what would it consist of?

I think it would be tequila, lavender syrup, lime juice, mint. I’ve never had that, but I think it would be really good. I feel like it would be the right color and the right scent.

A tremendous thank you to Justine for taking the time and thought to respond to the questions!

Don't miss out on any updates by following Photocomfort on Twitter (@Photocomfort) and Instagram (@photocomfort), and liking her on Facebook (/photocomfort)!

Check out the full gallery of PHOTOS from the Rough Trade NYC show below!