Interview with Festive One on New Album 'Eternal Optimist'

MuzicNotez: What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?

Festive One: From an early age, I’ve always enjoyed listening to music. Growing up, I heard music from a variety of artists. I was drawn to instrumental jazz and easy listening, from artists like Kenny G and George Benson, but I also enjoyed hearing R&B/Soul music from artists like Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, The Isley Brothers, and the Jackson 5. Inspired by those early influences, I started creating my own style of instrumental music in 2002, and I released my debut album, “Stepping Stones,” in July 2012.

MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

Festive One: I’m a bit of an old soul at heart. I was inspired by the music of artists like Con Funk Shun, Dazz Band, Average White Band, and Zapp and Roger, to name a few. Very early on in my journey as an artist, when I had an opportunity to pursue a course that might have proven more lucrative, I decided that I wanted to create music that families could listen to together, with no explicit lyrics and no parental advisory label required. And I’ve been determined to hold on to that vision. So, I started creating instrumental family-friendly music, putting my own modern-day spin on the blueprint of old-school music. As I like to call it, it’s yesterday’s music for tomorrow’s audience.

MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?

Festive One: One of the songs from my latest album is entitled “Smile on My Face (Part 2).” That’s the effect I want my music to have when fans listen to it–I want them to have a smile on their face. Every time you listen to one of my songs or albums, I hope you’ll be able to smile, laugh, dance, and feel a sense of joy, optimism, and positivity. Also, because my goal is to create family-friendly music, I want fans to know that it’s for people of all ages. It doesn’t matter whether you’re seven or 70–it’s truly for everyone. Parents can listen to it with their kids and feel safe and comfortable letting their kids listen to it by themselves because they will never have to worry about explicit or objectionable content. The music is entirely instrumental, so music is the only content. I want that to be the calling card that makes my music different–it’s fun, wholesome, and positive, not only because that’s how it sounds, but also because that’s how it makes you feel. If you can have peace of mind knowing that you and your family can listen to my music together, and you can feel a sense of joy and optimism while you’re listening to it, then I know I’ve done something right.

MuzicNotez: What’s the latest release of yours? Tell us about it.

Festive One: My latest album is entitled Eternal Optimist, and it was officially released in July 2023 but went on pre-sale in May 2023. I feel like it’s one of my most creative albums to date, and it’s definitely my favorite album out of all the ones I’ve done so far. This is my first album of new music since 2017, so going into it, I was really nervous, wondering if I still had the creative spark to put together what I hoped would be a solid body of work. Overall, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out, and I think that fans are going to love it!! The first single from the album, “Second Chances,” is quickly becoming a fan favorite, especially in Japan, where it’s been streamed on Apple Music over 200 times since the pre-release in May. I hope that fans will enjoy listening to the album as much as I enjoyed creating it!!