Art & Life with Jaime J. Soto

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime J. Soto.

Jaime, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I became fascinated with music and voice at five years old when I sat in front of a speaker and matched vocal pitch with K.T. Oslin. I played Orchestra and Mariachi music in elementary school before surrendering my brain to all things Selena and Gwen Stefani as a tween. I was encouraged by teachers and peers to pursue singing after I brought the house down at a talent show performing a Selena classic. My voice changed soon after, and I lost confidence. I wrote poetry and parody while delving into self-discovery, performance arts, and gymnastics throughout high school.
In 2003, I started a band with friends called The Cause. It was my first attempt at writing lyrics and singing. I started to find a voice as an artist, yet anxiety attacks began to surface at the thought of performing. I pressed on and led the band for about a year.

In 2004, I inherited a Technics KN1200 keyboard with production capabilities and a floppy disc drive. Laptops were dominating the electronic scene, but I didn’t have the money for one. Gwen Stefani released her debut single “What You Waiting For?” and I took her message to heart, producing around twenty original songs. I started to perform all over Arizona as a solo artist. I was finally creating, yet my performance anxiety started to manifest as “nervous pukes” at shows. It was challenging, but I kept on.

In 2009 my keyboard broke, and I lost all my original music. It was an emotionally turbulent year in my personal life, too. My only solution involved getting back on stage to express what I was feeling. I downloaded karaoke backtracks from artists like Prince and Depeche Mode and threw myself on stage more anxious than ever. I started to remove articles of clothing during performances to express my vulnerability. I performed gymnastics skills and dance to help mask my anxiousness. I felt afraid to perform, but I started gaining support for what I was doing on stage. The only thing missing was original music.

In 2011, I maxed out a credit card to get my first Macbook. I collaborated with local engineers to produce my first pop backtracks. I invested in cheap costuming (Thanks Fascinations!) and developed some choreography. My craft felt more complete. The nervousness was still present, but I learned to cope with it somehow.

In 2014, I resigned all I had done previously and decided to make an experimental album called “FGGTFAILUR.” The concept for the album was letting go of societal pressures to be a “normal.” I produced tunes that mirrored the confusion, anxiety, and frustration I had felt throughout my life. I expressed myself as honestly as possible. I talked openly in my lyrics about sexuality for the first time. My anxiety began to fade away soon after. It was truly a liberating experience.

In 2018 I have returned to producing pop music with heavy Queer themes. I perform my music frequently in addition to occasional burlesque shows. I also co-host a radio show on 91.3 FM KXCI Tucson. Shout out to all the people that have helped me along the way! XO.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Everything I do is centered around music. Music has always been a deep fascination and obsession in life. I produce, write, sing and perform my own brand of experimental and pop music under the name Jaime J. Soto. My performances combine gymnastics, performance art, and burlesque. I also perform burlesque with Tucson Libertine League and co-host a radio show called #elevn2hvn on 91.3 KXCI FM in Tucson. I recently started writing and singing in a project called, Glacier.WAV.

No matter what medium I create in, I draw inspiration from everyday life. My intention is, to be honest about my emotions and do everything in my power to convey my feelings for an audience. I always hope to connect with my onlookers in some way. I want to inspire people to look inward and create something of their own. I must feel a strong connection to a piece of music for any of this to happen. Music is such an amazing artform – you can’t see, touch, or taste it. It’s a great challenge to interpret music, but the emotional payoff is immeasurable when people feel what you have expressed.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success is achieved at the inception of the vision.
Success is achieved in taking the risk to create the vision.
Success is achieved the moment you live the vision, good or bad.

Persistence is important. Never give up. Answer the call to create when it hits.
Continue to create until YOU no longer want to. Don’t listen to critics unless YOU want feedback.
No one is allowed to tell you the value of your art. It’s YOUR art.

Now, go and define success for yourself.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I perform all over Arizona frequently. The best way to find out about my performances is to direct message and follow request me on Instagram @jaimejsoto. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

My music is available on most major streaming sites like Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.

Nothing helps any artist more than showing up or listening, but I’m sure we will gladly accept financial donations (A kind word of encouragement works, too).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fggtfailur.com
• Email: fggtfailur@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimejsoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjsotojjsoto/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjsotojjsoto

Image Credit:
Rachel Marie Photography, Binary Star Photography

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