Justin Nozuka
 |
Justin Nozuka | |
|---|---|
 Nozuka in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Justin Tokimitsu Nozuka |
| Born | September 29, 1988 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Folk, R&B |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | justinnozuka |
Justin Tokimitsu Nozuka (born September 29, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His debut album, Holly, was released in Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States. He has licensed the album to indie label Coalition Entertainment Records, distributed by Warner Music in Canada, Outcaste Records in the UK/EU distributed by EMI and Glassnote Records in the US distributed by Universal Music Group.
Biography
Nozuka was born one of seven children to Canadian mother Holly Sedgwick[1][2] and Japanese father Hiromitsu Nozuka. Sedgwick raised Nozuka and his six siblings as a single mother.[3] He is the brother of musicians George and Henry Nozuka and actor Philip Nozuka. His mother's half-sister is actress Kyra Sedgwick[4][5] and his first cousin twice removed is Edie Sedgwick.
Nozuka began to write songs at the age of twelve. The earliest of his songs on Holly, "Supposed to Grow Old" and "I'm in Peace", were written when he was fifteen.[6] While attending St. Andrews College, an international boarding school in Aurora, Ontario, Nozuka learned to play guitar from classmates.[citation needed] He then went on to the Etobicoke School of the Arts, graduating in 2007. His musical influences stem from artists such as Lauryn Hill and Marvin Gaye, among others.[7]
With help from fellow Canadian artist Damhnait Doyle, whom he met at a songwriting workshop, Nozuka was introduced to Universal Records talent scout Allan Reid. He recorded three tracks through Universal with Bill Bell as producer, leading Universal to offer him a contract. However, he decided to "record an album on (his) own, with (his) own freedom".[8]
In 2007, Nozuka released his debut album, Holly, named after his mother, who supported his chosen career in music. The album has eleven songs and includes the hidden track "If I Gave You My Life". Many of Justin's songs deal with mature themes, such as "Save Him", which is a fictional account of a woman abused by her husband. Another track, "Down in a Cold Dirty Well", is about his perspective being stuck in a well, watching his life flash before his eyes. "Criminal" describes the story of a drunken man facing the consequences of throwing a bottle into a street "where children play with bare feet"[9] and suffers overwhelming guilt. In February 2008, Nozuka was nominated for a Juno award in the New Artist of the Year category, following the commercial and critical success of Holly.
In 2008, Nozuka toured with Marié Digby and Eric Hutchinson. From August through November 2008, he toured the US with Gabe Dixon Band and Jay Nash as well as through parts of Europe. In the beginning of 2009, he toured the United States again, this time co-headlining with Missy Higgins and special guest Lenka.[citation needed]
In the summer of 2009, Nozuka began working on his second studio album while touring and playing live shows in Europe. The record, titled You I Wind Land and Sea, was released in the US on April 13, 2010, and debuted at Number 118 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart.[citation needed]
On February 18, 2010, Nozuka lent his vocals alongside fifty Canadian musicians to a reworked version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag", in support of relief efforts in Haiti, following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Other artists involved included K'naan himself, Nelly Furtado, Kardinal Offishall, Avril Lavigne, Lights, Drake, Fefe Dobson, Esthero, Jacob Hoggard, and Justin Bieber. The track was released on iTunes on March 12, 2010, with all proceeds going to World Vision, Free the Children, and War Child.[citation needed]
In November 2011, Nozuka collaborated with the Slakadeliqs on their single "Love Controls the Sun", from their debut album, The Other Side of Tomorrow.[10]
Nozuka has performed the song "Gone" in his live shows but has yet to include it on an album. Wu-Tang Clan member RZA came across the track and decided to sample it. Joined by Kobra Khan, James Black, and Nozuka, they released the song, also titled "Gone," in October 2011 as a tribute to former Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard.[11]
Nozuka has also had various acting roles, including an appearance on Degrassi: The Next Generation as Chuck Hosada, the fictional brother to recurring character Chester, played by Nozuka's real-life brother Philip. George Nozuka also appeared in the same episode, playing the third brother, Chad.
In April 2014, Nozuka released his third studio album, Ulysees.[12] After spending 2010 touring, he took a break to produce the record himself, resulting in a four-year gap between releases. The album is backed by the singles "Right by You" and "Sweet Lover".
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Heat |
US Indie |
DU | FR | ||
| Holly |
|
– | 6 | 30 | 79 | 23 |
| You I Wind Land and Sea |
|
118 | 1 | 13 | 40 | 45 |
| Ulysees |
|
– | 49 | – | – | – |
| Run To Waters |
|
– | – | – | – | – |
| "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released | ||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat | ||
| Blue Velvet Sea: The Sessions EP |
|
50 |
| Chestnut Spoke To Maple |
|
– |
| High Tide |
|
– |
| Low Tide |
|
– |
| Then, Now & Again |
|
– |
| "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released | ||
Other releases
- iTunes Festival: London – Justin Nozuka (Live) EP (2007) (available in the U.K.)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CA | CA AC | ||||
| "After Tonight" | 2007 | –[A] | – | – | Holly | |
| "Mr. Therapy Man" | – | – | – | |||
| "Criminal" | – | – | – | |||
| "Be Back Soon" | 2008 | – | – | – | ||
| "Golden Train" | 2009 | – | – | – | ||
| "My Heart Is Yours" | 2010 | – | – | – | You I Wind Land and Sea | |
| "Heartless" | – | 93 | 14 | |||
| "Right By You" | 2014 | – | – | – | Ulysees | |
| "Sweet Lover" | – | – | – | |||
| "By Your Side" | 2015 | – | – | – | Chestnut Spoke to Maple | |
| "All I Need" | 2017 | – | – | – | Run to Waters | |
| "Warm Under The Light" | 2018 | – | – | – | ||
| "No One But You" (feat. Mahalia) | 2020 | – | – | – | Then, Now & Again | |
| "Summer Night o8" | 2021 | – | – | – | ||
| "Nova" | – | – | – | non-album single | – | – |
| "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released | ||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Bad Fog of Loneliness" | 2007 | — | Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute To Neil Young |
| "At Long Last You"[13] | 2007 | Joe Sbrocchi | Fatlabs Studio |
| "At the Same Time" | 2010 | Shad | TSOL |
| "Love Controls The Sun" | 2011 | The Slakadeliqs | The Other Side of Tomorrow |
| "Keep Breathing" | |||
| "Come Back Home" | 2012 | Perfeck Strangers | Series Premiere |
| "Flood" | 2016 | River Tiber | Indigo |
| "I Won't Live Until I Die" | 2017 | Morgan Cameron Ross | — |
| "The Only Difference" | Beatchild, The Slakadeliqs | Heavy Rockin' Steady | |
| "The Only Difference" [Bakermat Rework] | 2019 | Beatchild, Bakermat | — |
| "Taurus" | River Tiber | ||
| "Blossom" | 2021 | Zacari | Sol |
Music videos
- Mr. Therapy Man (Holly, 2007)[14]
- Criminal (Holly, 2007 and 2009)[15]
- After Tonight (Holly, 2007)[16]
- Be Back Soon (Holly, 2008)[17]
- Golden Train (Holly, 2009)[18]
- My Heart is Yours (You I Wind Land and Sea, 2010)[19]
- Heartless (You I Wind Land and Sea, 2010)
- Gone (with RZA, Kobra Khan & James Black) (2011)[20]
- Love Controls The Sun (with The Slakadeliqs, 2011)
- Keep Breathing (with The Slakadeliqs, 2011)
- Right By You (Ulysees, 2014)
- Sweet Lover (Ulysees, 2014)
- By Your Side (Chestnut Spoke to Maple, 2015)
- All I Need (High Tide, 2017)
- Warm Under The Light (Low Tide, 2018)
- No One But You (ft. Mahalia) (2020)
- Summer Night O8 (2021)
- Nova (2021)
Notes
- ^ "After Tonight" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number seventeen on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
References
- ^ "Justin Nozuka | New Music And Songs | MTV". MTV.
- ^ Famous uncle, Backstreet mentor inspire popster George Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [dead link]http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2008/05/051108_10.html
- ^ "Justin Nozuka | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics". MTV. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
- ^ "Famous uncle, Backstreet mentor inspire popster George". .canada.com. 2006-11-08. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
- ^ Interview with FaceCulture[permanent dead link] Retrieved on April 1, 2008
- ^ Official Biography from justinnozuka.co.uk Archived 2007-07-02 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on July 15, 2007
- ^ Interview with TeenSpot.com Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on July 15, 2007
- ^ Official lyrics page Archived 2008-03-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on April 1, 2008
- ^ "The Slakadeliqs – Love Controls the Sun ft. Justin Nozuka (Download)". Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
- ^ http://www.channelapa.com/2011/10/gone-by-justin-nozuka-x-rza-x-kobra-khan-x-james-black.html
- ^ "Justin Nozuka on Apple Music". Apple Music.
- ^ At Long Last You Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine - Fatlabs Portfolio
- ^ "Justin Nozuka "Mr. Therapy Man"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
- ^ "Justin Nozuka "Criminal"". YouTube. 2009-04-28. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
- ^ "Justin Nozuka "After Tonight"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
- ^ "Be Back Soon". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-03-03.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "Justin Nozuka - Golden Train". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-03-03.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-03-03.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ justinnozuka. "Gone - Justin Nozuka & RZA ft. Kobra Khan & James Black". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
External links
- Official website
- Official french website
- Justin Nozuka on Facebook
- Justin Nozuka on Youtube
- Justin Nozuka on Twitter
- Justion Nozuka IMDB
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1988 births
- Living people
- American expatriate musicians in Canada
- American male singers
- American singers of Asian descent
- American people of Canadian descent
- American people of English descent
- American musicians of Japanese descent
- American contemporary R&B singers
- Canadian male singers
- Canadian contemporary R&B singers
- Canadian musicians of Japanese descent
- People from Queens, New York
- St. Andrew's College (Aurora) alumni
- Sedgwick family
- Canadian soul singers
- Singers from New York City
- 21st-century American singers
- Glassnote Records artists