A quick chat with Justin Stewart Cotta

Have you been finding that you’re focusing more on acting rather than music, or vice versa, during lockdown? 

I'm not typically one to be found monologuing Shakespeare in front of the mirror. You're more likely to catch me singing Space Oddity in the shower. Likewise, my focus during lockdown has been primarily music. Not to trivialise, but the pandemic genuinely forced me to be more productive musically. It was an urgent reminder that I had 30 or so songs yet to be finished. As an asthmatic in this new Covid Era, I was highly motivated to get on with things and to stop procrastinating. I'd be pretty flat if I didn't finish my songs before the end of days. Acting has been a rewarding outlet this year, but music has had a deeper focus for me. Even during the recent filming of the NBC production "Young Rock", I had my guitar and recording gear set up in the hotel, constantly putting final touches on the upcoming album as well as writing new material.

Did you pick up any new, interesting skills during quarantine in Queensland?

I don't want to sound too rock and roll, but I did take up pilates. My lower back turned into gelatinous goo during quarantine. I also started a new thing, i think... born of boredom, I started creative garment folding, or as I refer to it cautiously "Wardrobe Origami". Lastly, in week one of quarantining in the hotel, I put my shoes just under the curtains so it looked like a stalker was hiding behind the drapes. Good for an insta photo right? But by the end of week two I had long forgotten the stunt, and actually screamed coming out of the shower thinking there was an intruder in the apartment.

What do you mean when you say ‘hope is the new rebellion,’ and how did this come to be your new mentality?

I mean that we have no choice but to fight our way out of the darkness. Growing up, it felt like the cool kids frowned on optimism. There was this almost rehearsed disinterest. To be rock and roll, or to be punk, or to be metal, you had to care very little. Problem was, I cared a lot. It was in Mum's vinyl collection that I discovered bands like The Clash & artists like Bob Marley, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan.. and those early U2 records, particularly War. Fierce artists that had heart & a lot to say. Don't get me wrong, great songs & great art don't have to be politically or socially motivated at all. But for me, the fact that rock and roll, if it wanted to, could not only give you a shoulder-wiggle, but also prick your conscience, well that blew my mind. In 2020 I hold firm to my belief that hope is an open act of defiance and an act of revolution, particularly in the current geopolitical climate. I've chosen to stop being an apologist for my optimism & hope. If those qualities aren't resonating in my music, then I'm not being honest. Whether it's a personal or political revolution, hope breeds possibility, and possibility breeds creativity. Be it a song, a cure for dementia, harvesting solar, or eradicating systemic racism, we need all the creativity and hope we can get right now.

What came first – acting or music? How have you managed to balance both?

Music came first for me. Mum still reminds me that my first concert was the Rolling Stones, In Utero. My father is a rather brilliant guitarist and he played a flamenco version of Stairway To Heaven at my baptism. As a child everything from Mozart to Deep Purple was booming out of the family stereo. My parents separated when I was 3 and I went to live with my grandparents. They had a piano, and it became my best friend very quickly. Music was my first love without question.How have I balanced acting and music? Oh that's easy! There's huge swathes of unemployment that come with both careers! Thus, much like a sailing tactician, you just have to charter your failures in one to coincide with your successes in the other. No doubt it's a tough racket, but hey, if you think us muso/actors have it tough, spare a thought for my long time friend and former housemate Tim. He's a comedian & magician!

Has your songwriting practice changed over time? How?

It's a great question & the most difficult to answer... hmm... I guess I'm learning to surrender to imperfection. I'm more prone to let a song breathe and just let it be what it is. I've become far more interested in being expressive rather than impressive. I've also let go of being too concerned with genre specificity. That was tough initially, because as a fan of albums like The Downward Spiral and The Wall, I reckon there was a part of me that was subconsciously always striving to create concept albums. That's fine, but there are so many moments you lose because they don't fit into a preconceived narrative or musical style. I guess I'm surrendering to messiness much more. So although I'm the same songwriter at heart, experience would seem to have lent itself to becoming more free.

Your latest songs provide a modern perspective on love and relationships, was this a conscious choice to shed light on this side of love when writing your lyrics?

If anything it was a subconscious motivation. I'm a believer in letting the songs arrive, staying humble, keeping your antennae up for those moments of gold when the universe transmits something.. a hint.. a lyric.. half a melody, or indeed a full song. No doubt I work hard, I explore, I hone my craft... but it's always in the context of wanting to connect with that infinite energy. Relative to the lyrics, it became very clear in my personal life that I had to prioritise relationships. For so long they took a back seat to selfish ambition. Luckily for me, the universe saw fit to send an SOS via soundwave. The very same distress signals you can hear on "Love Yourself"

What advice would you give to someone in a toxic relationship like the one you sing about in ‘Longing is Not Love’?

In the era of cancel-culture we just end the relationship don't we? If we stay to work on things we're considered to be weak... a door-mat. I learned a while back to not give advice. That said, for me, I would encourage a mutual recalibration and reinvention of the relationship from the ground up. Give it everything you've got in good faith. If toxicity persists, get single quick & get some comfort snacks. Curry & Cheese Naan highly recommended! 5 stars!
What’s been your favourite music release of the year?

Cable Ties - Far Enough. The driving urgency of Sonic Youth coupled with really great songwriting and lyrics. Jenny McKechnie has fast become one of my favourite singers. "Sandcastles" gives me the courage to face the day.

How has your art helped you through this pandemic?

It's been a soothing gauze for me personally, particularly during this traumatic time for the planet. There is a physiological and spiritual response that music elicits. Like the majority of us, I'm not immune to anxiety and depression. Music is therapy for me. The most rewarding part of that process is sharing the magic of music with others. My mantra these days is to connect with and heal fellow humans. It would be fair to say that in 2020, despite the fact that the federal government is budgeting to the contrary, the arts have never been more important.

What has been your favourite overseas music experience?

Supporting & becoming friends with Queens Of The Stone Age. Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri were great influences on me. I'll never forget wandering into their soundcheck at the House of Blues in New Orleans, our first date of the tour, & they were tripping out to an extended jam with a full laser show. I actually helped myself to a beer, took a seat and watched on in awe as they jammed for over an hour.

Where would you want to travel to first when Sydney is free of Coronavirus?

To see my Mum and brother in Los Angeles. Close second would be India, as my grandparents and my mother migrated from the sub-continent to Australia in the 60s, so there's a strong pull toward discovering more about my ancestry.

Who would you want to play you if your life were a movie adaptation?

I would want to play me. I need the work! Hmmm... It would be the three-way love child of Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Zane and Travis Fimmel. But to be fair, I spend most of my internal life in a state of Woody Allen type neurosis.