Premiere: Jeffery Austin is so damn ‘Misguided’

We knew it was wrong, but the rendezvous felt so right. Our relationship had gone down in flames, as they say, but years removed from the turmoil, the rage, the sorrow, we reconnected. It was firmly planted deep within our chest, throbbing just behind our literal heart. The strings were repaired, if only for that fleeting moment of unobstructed lust. We’ve all had that moment of shame, when we let our emotions sneak up on us. “It was a matter of time,” pop newcomer Jeffery Austin traces with his own destructive hideaway with a past lover, who waltzed back into his life like nothing really had happened. “Crossing over the red line,” Austin broods, detailing every mistake in startling outlines, resurrecting the pain once again. “I’m about to self-destruct, sabotage / Running from the truth like camouflage / Drown it out, don’t make a sound / Can’t take it back / It’s different now,” he peels back the layers of the moment he succumbed to temptation.

“Misguided,” premiering today, bubbles and boils with sheer effervescent-dribbled synths, thanks to the precision and delicacy of producer Tim Atlas, who instinctually devises a track of utter pop grandeur. “Tim and I met in another life on reality TV, and I’ve kind of forced him to be my friend ever since,” Austin tells B-Sides & Badlands of the pair’s working relationship, constructed on a base of trust and commitment. Having produced Austin’s first-ever single “Only You” back in 2016, the two forged a long-lasting connection in the studio. “I was always a little nervous to ask him to write with me, but when I decided I wanted to release an EP, I knew he was the one I wanted to help with the project. I think this is the best group of songs, lyrically and melodically, that I’ve been a part of.” 

Austin’s upcoming EP, also called Misguided, out later this year, embodies what he listens “to on my own time,” he stresses. “That’s such a novel concept, but the past few years, I’ve been kind of writing based on what other people have said would take me to the next level. Whether that was labels, management or big-name songwriters, everyone had an opinion, and I’d end up with something that I wasn’t even sure I’d listen to if it came up on a Spotify playlist. So, I just literally made a playlist of what I’d been listening to at the time, sent it to Tim and told him, ‘Do this.’ And we did.”

“Misguided” is a sobering concept of two love-torn, lust-struck companions who can’t help but be sucked back into the past. The vibe is chilled but not cold, scalding but not untouchable, faded but enduring. And Austin’s vocals are stunningly inspired, broiled just enough to punch hard without sacrificing its fragile being.

Listen below:

Was crossing the line with someone you shouldn’t ultimately becoming self-destructive?

Absolutely. I’m not even speaking with the person that inspired this group of songs. It makes for a weird release, but these songs represent a pretty important period of time. Without going into too much detail, this last “trist” was closure I think for both parties, and it’s therapeutic. I may not have walked away with a relationship but certainly a few bangers, which works for me.

Why write this song?

It was merely coincidental. I’d scheduled time with Tim to write and start production, and I just wanted to write about things happening in real time, so we did. I hooked up with this person, happened to be in the studio the next week, so we wrote this song.

What did you come to learn about yourself and this other person afterward?

I think the lesson for both of us was that even though all this time had passed since we’d been in a relationship and we thought we knew so much more about life and love, we’re still the self-destructive idiots who met in college. So, when we get together, that just isn’t going to change. People show you who they are pretty early on in meeting them, so you should really listen because nine times out of ten, you’re not going to change someone.

In what ways does “Misguided” anchor your upcoming EP of the same name?

These songs were all written in that short period of time, about this particular few weeks where I happened to be hanging out with this guy. And even though a few of them are positive and optimistic, in the end those feelings were pretty misguided.

Sonically, what are the other songs like?

No song sounds exactly like the other, but I feel through Tim’s production style, we have a cohesive project. I wanted music that was introspective, lyrically, that you could still dance to. I’d been stuck in this world of ballads, because I thought that’s what people wanted to hear from me. With this project, I wanted beats, tight melodies and percussive lyrics. I think that’s what we got.

As an LGBTQ+ individual, how are you navigating the world and the business in 2018?

It’s certainly an interesting time with the political climate. People are starting to demand inclusion in some respects because of how exclusive this administration is in every other aspect. I’m seeing more and more LGBTQ+ artists write material that is less ambiguous, content-wise. Just a few years ago, we had people like Sam Smith who are openly gay on the radio, which is great, but not even saying male pronouns in their music. Now, we have Troye Sivan writing songs that are allegedly about bottoming. That’s pretty cool to me.

Still, there’s a long way to go. I’ve had producers tracking vocals before and after a take ask me to sing the verse less feminine. And when I first started, I’d be like “yea you’re right, I don’t want to sound like that because of my own insecurities.” Now, I’m like “keep it, that’s how I sound.” It’s little things like that where I think issues with femininity and authenticity are still prevalent. We’re allowed to be gay, but only to an extent. I want that to get better for sure, and it’s all about sticking up for your sound and your story.

What’s your coming out story? Is that reflected on this project?

My coming out story is pretty mellow. I was on spring break in high school in Newport Beach, walking on the bluffs, listening to Danity Kane’s “Poetry,” being dramatic, in general. Something finally just clicked where I was like “I’m going to call my best friend, and tell her I’m gay. Enough already.” So, I did, and I still begged her not to tell anyone until I was ready. About a month later, she got drunk or stoned at a Jack Johnson concert, and told everyone and that was that.

I was initially so pissed and didn’t speak to her forever. But we got over it and now the only thing I’m pissed about is that everyone found out I was gay with “Banana Pancakes” as the soundtrack.  

Have people in your life been pretty accepting?

Let’s be honest, I was hardly hiding anything at the time I told people. But I’m extremely lucky that most of my family and friends have been open and accepting. Both sides of my parents grew up in mostly conservative, church-going families, so I think they probably had some adjustments in their thinking. For the most part, though, that’s been done in private. I never really sat down all my family individually and told them. I kind of told my mom to have at it if anyone asked. I understand that’s not how easy it is for everyone else, so I’m very grateful.

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