5 minute read
PASTOR OF THE MUSIC STUDIO
A lucrative record deal, collaborations with Macy Gray and Kelly Rowland and a string of hit songs, producer and songwriter Rob Amoruso’s career has reached a crescendo. Over the past year alone, he has produced more than 50 songs for established and emerging artists — including a number one album for Aussie band, The Rubens. However, his Christian faith, healing from anxiety, and opportunity to change the music industry’s tune are what he’s most grateful for.
Sessions with Jakubi and Macy Gray Windmark Studios, Santa Monica | 2017
Words: Sarah Laing
Songwriter and producer Rob Amoruso clearly recalls the moment he decided to leave a successful career as a musician touring the world with his band Jakubi.
“I remember thinking like, ‘Man I’ve got nothing left, I’m going to die if I stay here,’” Amoruso says. “It’s a very specific picture. It’s me at three a.m. in a hotel room so lonely. You know, 16 days into a...bender, just going, ‘I have 63 more cities to go to in this [tour] run. How am I gonna get through this?’ And it’s actually funny, it’s so specific. There’s like a Domino’s pizza box there. It’s crazy.”
For Amoruso, a passion for music started early in life. Growing up in a musical family, he picked up his first instrument at two years old. By age 15 he was touring in bands. In his mid 20’s, and five bands later, he formed Jakubi with his four best mates, playing at house parties across Melbourne. The band’s catchy blend of several music genres including pop, hiphop and soul quickly caught the attention of music executives, landing them a deal with US label Epic Records in 2012.
“The dream for me was to always have success in music — make a living — make money off it and just be able to keep doing it,” Amoruso says. “The stock standard cliché thing that everyone pretty much wants to do. Nothing special.”
Amoruso’s climb through the music industry’s ranks was exhilarating. Jakubi’s songs amassed millions of streams on Spotify and they supported some of the world’s biggest artists on tour — playing to thousands of people. In the midst of all this success though, Amoruso felt a lack of purpose.
“I feel like, yeah, I just started getting really unsatisfied with what I was doing, but at the same time completely terrified because it’s all I ever knew. It’s all I ever wanted to do. It was really heartbreaking, and I had no friends that weren’t in the industry. I’d completely lost contact with everyone back in Australia because that just became my life.”
Wakarusa Festival, Arkansas | 2015
Experiencing significant depression and anxiety, Amoruso returned home to Melbourne to focus on healing. “I was quite unwell, you know — I was trying to come off a lot of drugs and stuff and I had a lot of health problems. I was just so anxious all the time.”
Amoruso tried everything to help alleviate his increasing anxiety, including turning his phone off indefinitely and completely cutting off all ties to the music industry. His anxiety became so bad that he remained in his room for a month, unable to venture outside. Out of desperation, he decided to attend a local church service one Saturday night.
“Church was the last resort. The last, last, last, last resort...I stood in the foyer, and I was literally just standing there crying like, ‘Man what’s happening to me?’ At the same time, I’m like, ‘I don’t really think I even believe this,’ because I was pretty convinced there wasn’t a God. I just knew whatever it was [in church] that I was feeling I had to be in. It was the only peace I could get.”
Finding faith was a turning point for Amoruso, providing him with a new sense of purpose in life and music.
“I would literally look up any church that would be on a Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night...the peace of God...I was like, ‘I just need to be in it, I don’t care where it is.’”
As his health improved, Amoruso decided to pursue songwriting and producing with a focus on providing a supportive space for artists.
“I think that music is just the thing that connects me to people,” Amoruso says. “I kind of feel like now, in sessions, I want to be a point of difference. Like, how can I provide a different environment and show them [artists] they can actually do their art and be super creative?”
After experiencing some of the darker aspects of the music industry, such as drug use, Amoruso is particularly passionate about mentoring young and emerging artists. “I pray in the room first, before every session...and, you know, there’ll be a young artist 15 minutes in — they’ll just be crying like on the couch and I’m just like, ‘What’s God doing man? This isn’t me. All I did was made him a cup of tea.’”
The music industry can be a harsh environment to work in - often cultivating a sense of fear
and doubt, which is why people like Amoruso are so needed. In addition to music collaboration, he provides artists with a listening ear and supportive environment that encourages them to pursue their talents.
“I just think they feel safe. And being safe in the music and entertainment industry is so rare that when you feel it, it’s really intense,” Amoruso says. “I want to be someone in that world who gets to speak into their music and help and guide them… for lack of better words, just a better influence than what they’ve currently got, you know.”
When it comes to writing songs, having safe and honest conversations with artists also helps Amoruso on a creative level.
“The song also generally does better, because they’re actually singing it with conviction because it means something to them.”
Amoruso hopes to one day form his own record label focused on nurturing young talent. For now though, he’s more than content helping artists find hope through song.
“By being a writer and a producer, I get to just make it about other people...I get to be someone that sort of just tries to pull gold out of them. I really like that because it’s kind of like I get to be the pastor of the studio. I don’t know nearly enough Bible to be a pastor, but I know music.”
Sessions with Jakubi and Macy Gray Windmark Studios, Santa Monica | 2017
