Jazz Radio: Santa Baby

Dylan Villarreal isn’t taking himself too seriously. When I sit down with the Deep Cuts bassist and artist behind Jazz Radio, he’s surrounded by pads, pedals and instruments stacked 20ft high in a south-east Houston studio and recording a sexed-up cover of “Santa Baby” just in time for the holidays (check it out below).

The Houston-native greets me in a mid-range drawl, “Grab a beer man, sit wherever,” and tip-toes over chords to accommodate his offer. I find a folding chair in the midst of the musical melee, crack a cold Lone Star and take a look around the room. The interwoven instruments and tangled cables lining the studio floor match the messy mop and manic mood draped on the man in front of me. I interrupt his process to pick his brain for a few moments about his music, his city, and his upcoming Jazz Radio album, Marmalade, set to drop March 29, 2019.

On the set of a video shoot in anticipation of upcoming Jazz Radio album, Marmalade

On the set of a video shoot in anticipation of upcoming Jazz Radio album, Marmalade

CC: What’s the story behind the name of your solo project, Jazz Radio?

DV: The name Jazz Radio stems from the relationship I have with my father. When I was a child he would put on a satellite radio station simply called “Jazz Radio,” and that was a way that we bonded: through music. He engineers it, he mixes it, and for that reason I can’t even call it a solo project, really.

CC: What should people know about you/your music?

DV: There’s a lot of frustration, but there’s a lot of love. Even though there’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of simple frustrations that we deal with in relationships..that we deal with in our everyday lives..that we deal with in break-ups, that we deal with in love. I guess that just because it can sound angry or it can sound frustrating doesn’t mean that it stems any less from a genuine part of our being; or at least mine.

It’s all just really honest to me.

Jazz Radio’s new holiday cover puts the “porno” in “Christmas.”

Jazz Radio’s new holiday cover puts the “porno” in “Christmas.”

CC: What’s your favorite instrument in recording and what’s your favorite part of your musical process?

DV: My favorite instrument is the bass because I’m decent at it and it comes naturally. But everyone likes playing guitar, right?

The best part of the musical process is writing ‘cause I can do it anywhere if I wanna and, you know, it’s not like I have to mix anything. I can do it over a beer.

Jazz Radio Guide to Houston

Drink: “Grand Prize”

After a Break-up: “My Bed”

Food: “Dumpling Haus”

After a Date: “My Bed”

Inspiration: “I don’t know. Nature is cool and shit.”

check out Jazz radio’s nsfw cover of santa baby below, out for a limited season on youtube and soundcloud.