Motive Black

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Motive Black- Elana Justin

Interview conducted on March 25, 2020

Motive Black is a Los Angeles based Hard Rock/Alt. Metal band. The first single “Broken” was released on March 20th, 2020 and was produced at the legendary NRG Studios in North Hollywood, CA by Grammy-winning Nick Rowe (Vampire Weekend). Ray Luzier of Korn played drums on the song and Marcus Curiel of P.O.D. is featured on guitar. An EP of additional material will be released later this year.

Dan Locke: Where did you grow up? Please tell us a bit about your upbringing.

Elana Justin: I grew up in Great Neck, a suburb right outside of New York City. I grew up surrounded by family, which was really awesome.

How did you discover music?

I’ve always loved all different types of music. I started watching old musicals when I was really young. My dad also had a night club in the city while I was growing up – so I was exposed to a lot of different types of music. I love emotive voices: there was a singer-songwriter night at his place that he let me go to once in a while. It really made an impression on me as a kid.

How did you come up with your band’s name?

The music was finished and we were really having trouble coming up with a name. It was starting to hold things up, but then Dave Buckner, who used to be the drummer for Papa Roach, came up with Motive Black. It really fits the vibe.

How long did it take you to record all the tracks for the upcoming EP?

I was looking at your Instagram account and you wrote that the EP will be coming in the not too distant future.

The EP took about a year to write and record, all together.

For the video “Broken” – How did you come up with the idea of the music video?

The song is about an internal struggle, fighting restrictions you’ve placed on yourself. The director, Dale “Rage” Resteghini of Raging Nation Films – had some inspiration from the Quiet Riot “Metal Health” video. He found a great way to visually represent the song.

Could you almost call your band a “supergroup”?

I got really lucky having Ray Luzier (of Korn) play on the EP, and Marcos Curiel (of P.O.D) play on “Broken”. They really took the music to another level. My current band is made up of friends that I made since I’ve moved out to LA. We’ve got Gabe Maska on bass, KC Jenkins and Joe Perez on guitar, and Jeff Dewbray on Drums. They are a killer group of musicians and great people!

Why did you start a Twitter account and it is still mostly empty?

To be honest, I have been terrible with social media – I’ve been more focused on getting the music right, getting the video together, photos, etc. I’m getting better as we get more into this, now that we’ve released the music and video – things are starting to happen. The twitter account for the band is brand new, and as we get in new updates we’re posting and now it’s starting to grow – as are all of our Social Media pages.

With the current 2020, SXSW canceled how do you think that will affect the music world?

All of these festivals and shows being canceled definitely hurt the music industry, but I think people will find ways to adapt. A lot of bands have been live streaming, which has been a great escape while we’re all stuck inside. We may be staying physically distant until the Corona Virus crisis subsides, but we are all trying to stay socially connected and engaged.

Are you planning to play live soon to promote your new music? What are your tour plans?

We are planning on playing live. We were getting dates together, but the Coronavirus has really halted our plans, and we have had to push things forward. We are so excited to play our new music for everyone, and we will definitely by playing shows, once we all get through this! We’re hopeful that we’ll able to get out and at least start playing local shows here in LA in late April or early May. It will just depend on when they start opening the live venues back up.

Since you are living in LA – Have you done any acting?

I did more acting in New York than LA, surprisingly. Right now, I’m really focused on Motive Black.

What happened to your band Elana J and the Grinder? Did You have some popularity in NYC?

We played around the lower east side of NYC a lot; we had a really good time. We all went our separate ways creatively, but most of them are still my really close friends. I really learned a lot from that band. We had a small following, but I definitely learned from playing live shows – even when the crowds were small. ;o)

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

I think there are pros and cons to it, but as an unsigned band, it’s a great way to get your music out there for people to hear!

How do you see yourself in the next five years – where do you hope to be?

Career-wise? I see us continuing to write and record new music on a regular basis, with some great tours under our belt!

Anything you would like to say to the fans in closing?

It’s a crazy time. If you’re losing your mind at home and looking for new music check us out @ www.motiveblack.com and on all the streaming services. Take care, Be Well and Be Safe!