A career that has seen him perform in a number of bands (Memento and VAST) touring the world in the process, as well as following his other artistic pursuits (poetry and acting), Justin Stewart Cotta is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who has just delivered his solo album, 'Melodies For Eulogies'.
"At what cost does an album come? What price is the artist willing to pay? Which dark secrets are you willing to transpose to light?" asks Justin."Which mistakes are you willing to share given that they will be seen by all in 20/20 retrospect? How many years are you willing to sacrifice? Which fears are you willing to lay bare?
"How much can you live without? How soft are you willing to be? How honestly will you recount? What loss are you willing to revisit? How willing, to hold yourself to account? Which betrayal will you relive? What humiliation can you endure? And which love will you lose again and again and again.
"Fifteen years. . . some of it in the wilderness, some of it in disarray, some of it difficult, some of it golden, some of it torture, slivers of it sublime.
"Fifteen years. . . the time it took to rebuild, the time it took to restore, the time in took to recover, the time it took to live, dream, make, record & release this record. My album. My diary – 'Melodies For Eulogies'.
"And whom do we, as branded, eulogise? Whom do we mourn? How do you grieve the death of a dream? And how do you dream a different dream? And what does the death of a dream sound like?
"And what of a dream's beginnings? It's birth? What of its vibrations? And in the comparison, in the balance, will your melody ring true or false? There can be only one.
"Come with me. Listen. Revisit and reinvest in a deep listen. Scrunch not your brow nor bite your lip to appear committed. But rather let go, and, let me in. Listen.
"I am not interested in your money. I do not want your praise. I would like for you to listen. To simply listen."
Who is Justin Stewart Cotta... At times a self-centred Leo, raised alternately by mum and grandparents, a musician first, actor second, possessor of a law degree (though no idea why), Collingwood fan by virtue of long running mental issues in the family.
Staunch ally to the LGBTIQ+ community, vehemently opposes arts funding cuts, disgusted with treatment of our Indigenous brothers and sisters, wants teachers and nurses to be paid more, lover of Led Zeppelin, lover of Franz Liszt.
Wishes cigarettes were healthy, partial to the occasional orange snack food like chilli-infused cheezles, aspirational vegetarian, has a deeply spiritual side while disavowing entirely from any form of organised religion, the maker of a strange scratching noise in the back of his throat in the witching hours of the night.
A singer-songwriter with a new album 'Melodies For Eulogies', and a new single 'Just Enough', and a human who is extremely grateful to scenestr for the feature. xo
I sound like... A seance. One in which Jim Morrison, Jeff Buckley and Ginger Baker are summoned to partake in a jam with Roger Waters and Jimmy Page; this particular gathering takes place at the foot of the pyramids 4,000 years ago, and is ultimately misconstrued by aliens as a distress signal.
My first gig was... To play = The Playroom (Gold Coast). To see = my stepdad's band Strange Visitor at a club called Pookies in LA as an eight year old. And yeah, I mighta snuck a gulp or three of a tequila sunrise.
In the studio I usually... Am in my most blissful state, and constantly lamenting the seemingly increased tempo of the time continuum. A whole day feels like ten minutes.
If I could tour with anyone... Nick Cave.
Social media is... Most likely how you are reading this right now. And for me, it's similar to my relationship with anchovies. I used to rather dislike, now I find myself rather obsessed and craving at 3am.
My favourite app at the moment is... Instagram. I'd be tickled pink if you followed me @justinstewartcotta
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... My god! I gotta start being discerning/ dishonest in interviews. OK. Against my better judgement, I'll be honest. *deep breath* As a 12 year old, I sharted on stage at the Albert Hall in Canberra during the finals of an inter-school choir competition. THERE! I said it! You happy now SCENESTR?!
Life on the road can be... The perfect mind bend of same time exhilarating and dull.
To transpose this feeling into the analogy of recreational drug use, it would be the equivalent of what some refer to as a Snow Cone. That's a standard cone with speed sprinkled on top. So, you get all the feels and none of the feels. In unison. DISCLAIMER: I refer to drugs in the literary abstract and, furthermore, highly recommend that folks find a more sustainable and rewarding high, like a meaningful relationship, or seasons 1 & 2 of 'Ozark'.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Palak paneer, basmati rice, one cheese naan, one lachha paratha, two samosas, a case of Perrier water, Voltaren Plus, a neck pillow, legible wi-fi password and a qualified therapist.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... Being on the receiving end of a Sharon Osbourne berating. There was a very strict and clear rule on Ozzfest – under no circumstances could band members leave the stage to go into the crowd. What can I say – I had a wireless microphone.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band? Stephen Colbert.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Why? Coz I wanna be a rollerskating influencer.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... My Grandfather, because I miss him dearly. Jacinda Ardern, compassionate politics, intelligent, witty, and... yep... I have a massive crush. Donald Trump Jr, so we could eat him alive.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I would make you an authentic fish madras curry and spinach dhal.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? I am an absolute lover. In fact, in between music and film gigs, I work on the phones for an animal welfare organisation.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Back in the day, Jameson's. Now, Coke Zero.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Three weeks ago. I filmed myself punching a punching bag. Literally just filmed the one punch, then uploaded a slow-mo version of the video to insta with the hashtag #mybodymytemple Then went straight home and ordered a large Rebel Whopper meal with extra onion rings on Uber Eats, (my second fav app).
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Cleaning up my beard trimmings off the bathroom floor.
Do you have any phobias... Yes, being caught in an Uber-share with flat earthers, climate deniers, anti-vaxxers, racists and/ or hyper-capitalists.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? I fancy my chances on 'SAS Australia'. If I can survive the music business I can survive Ant Middleton.
Best local takeaway joint for a 2am feed that will leave you with a food coma? It used to be Mashala on Crown St, Sydney. Sadly, they closed during COVID.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? A combo of R.P. McMurphy ('One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest') George Costanza ('Seinfeld') and The Joker ('Joaquin Phoenix').
Last show you binge-watched? 'Queen's Gambit'. Oh and scenestr, you guys rock. Thank you for having me. JSC xo
