Interview With Xavier Toscano

What inspired the song, and what made you decide this was the right record to release?

I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan. I’m also a huge fan of Quincy Jones, rest in peace to both of them. I am particularly fond of the work Quincy Jones did for Michael Jackson during the off-the-wall album. I took the song “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” to a collaborator who made a song inspired by that song. I wanted to capture the feel good essence of that song.

How did the collaboration come together, and what did JoceLien bring to the song?

At the time I was signed to a record label, called CBM Records, and they had suggested that I work with JoceLien on the record.  She was a friend of the label owner. I’ve yet to meet Jocelyn, She was supposed to be in the music video, but for reasons outside of her control she couldn’t make it to LA where we recorded the video. 

"You Make Me Feel So Good" has a positive, uplifting energy to it. What do you hope listeners take away from the record?

There’s a line in the pre-course that I hope makes the message clear, “When me, turns into we, it feels so good”! Life is better with good company and good people.

Your music blends elements of pop, dance, EDM, R&B, and reggae influences. How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time?

Eclectic, but pop at heart. What do you mean by pop is that, I hope it touches a great number of people in a positive way. Whether it turned into a cathartic moment for someone going through a hard time with one of my sad songs, or they choose one of my songs to celebrate a good moment in their life. I want to be emotionally involved with my audience and I feel that a sound varied in influences can carry that mission forward. 

How has growing up and working in the Bay Area influenced your music and career?

One of the things I hear a lot when people move out of the area, is that they miss the variety of people, culture, foods, music, etc. California is a blend of so much humanity! From having a lot of variety in terms of geography and the many different people in attracts from all of the world. The San Francisco Bay is especially a melting pot! I think my music has been influenced by the many cultures I have been exposed to. 

You've performed everywhere from local venues to larger stages and industry events. What do you enjoy most about performing live?

I feel like I do my best work live. I like to think that I jump out into the audience! I’ve often been praised about my ability to connect with people and to interact with them in a live setting. I think it also goes back to the fact that I really do love people, and it is my mission, every time I perform m to deliver performances with love, joy, and enthusiasm. I know that sounds corny, but that is the goal I have when I perform life. I want people to FEEL alive! To FEEL love! To feel JOY! I want them to soak in that energy and enthusiasm. 

Your music has appeared on MTV, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Sony PlayStation campaigns, Red Bull projects, and more. Looking back, what moments stand out most?

While, I’m very grateful to have had these milestones, I rarely look back. The thing that stands out for me the most is the next project. What stands out to me is what I’m working on right now. What stands out the most is the next goal… I’m not sure if that is a satisfactory answer to you, but it’s how I operate. I’m a person who likes living in the moment so I like staying focused on what I’m doing and how to get to that next goal post. 

Several of your videos have received recognition from the California Music Video Awards. How important are visuals to your creative process?

Visuals are super important, especially right now! It used to be that you would have to move to a big city and try to conquer that city before taking on the world. Now it’s conquer the Internet and take over the world. I take a lot of time thinking and rethinking what I’m going to do visually, and consulting over and over again with the team that I’m working with at the time. It’s important for me to do something that makes people feel like I’m worth their time and attention, and honestly once it’s done and lives on forever. So that keeps me pushing myself and trying to make the best product that I can. It’s often hard because I’m an independent artist and I don’t have a huge budget, but I do my best with the peanuts that I have. 

You've continued creating and releasing music for years as an independent artist. What has kept you motivated throughout the journey?

I don’t take my role as an artist for granted. In the song “Gone To Soon” by Michael Jackson, there’s a line that goes: “born to amuse, to inspire, to delight, here one day, gone one night”. I’m making it my life’s mission to be the best artist that I possibly can be, in order to motivate, inspire, delight, and not waste this time on earth I’ve been given. Life is too short, and this is the thumbprint that I wanna leave behind.. 

When you compare your current music to your earlier releases, what do you think has changed the most?

Oh my God! I’m not just committed to being an inspiring artist, I’m committed to my own growth. There’s a lot of old releases that I’ve scrapped and taken down just because I had grown and because now I know better so those releases weren’t worth sharing. I’ve recorded music videos three times sometimes just to get them right, with the old ones never seen the light of day. I think what has changed the most is my growth as an artist and how much tougher I am on myself in terms of getting things right. 

Some fans have compared aspects of your performance style and visual presentation to classic pop entertainers. Who were some of your biggest influences growing up?

There are so many! Michael Jackson is an obvious one, I’ve also been influenced by cultures. I will never know what the African-American experience is like firsthand, as I’m not black. But I find that black music in black artists are the most impressive to me and the most inspiring. Black people invented rock and roll, gospel, soul, disco, house music! I could go on and on! So I’ve been influenced by pop singers, because I appreciate the reach that they have, and that they become the soundtrack of our lives, but culture has also been a huge influence on me. 

After "You Make Me Feel So Good," what are you most excited about for the rest of the year?

i’m currently working on a five song EP. I’m super excited about that! Not only am I gonna make the five songs and record five new music videos, I’m going to make one long music video with all the songs in the order of the album. A full visual album like Beyoncé’s Lemonade. That’s really going to be a tremendous feat for an independent artist, but I’m up for it.

For someone discovering your music for the first time through this campaign, what's the one thing you'd want them to know about Xavier Toscano?

LET’S PARTY, BB!!!  

“Music means everything to me because __________."

Because it moves, shapes, and inspires movements and defines the times!