No need for a full band to create Justin Langston’s robust sounds.

Words by Abby L. Johnson Photo by Eric Morales

Equipped with a larger than life voice, a plethora of loop pedals, and his trusty guitar (affectionately named Sheila), Justin Langston brings new energy to the one-man-band concept.

Justin dons a huge smile and a cowboy hat, peering out from underneath the rim with a mischievous look in his eyes. He sips on a beer and talks about life in Kermit, his hometown in West Texas. “You drive through it as fast as you blink,” he says with a hearty laugh. Taking a serious interest in music at a young age, Justin knew he would need to find a place with bigger stages and a larger community of artists and musicians to nurture his talent and grow his craft.

Following his gut or, as he puts it, “good vibes” eventually led him to make his home in Austin. It was somewhat of an overnight decision, but as he explains, “I go where the energy takes me in my heart. I’ve followed that gut feeling my whole life.” Austin just felt right, adding, “I want to be by like-minded individuals, creative people, people who care about art and music.”

In his music, Justin fuses an eclectic list of early influences as disparate as Selena, Def Leppard, and OutKast. Familiar 80s pop sounds are balanced with a healthy dose of Bob Seger-style rock. “I’m not going to ever be my heroes, but my heroes are inside me in the best way,” he smiles.

Delivered in a signature growling voice, Justin’s technique came about organically. As a young kid, he played with multi-track recording at home. Now, “as technology has grown since I was 9, you can do that at your feet, which is where I got my looping thing.” In his acoustic shows, he got bored just performing with just a guitar. “All of me just wanted to have some kind of fat beat; that’s where the studio-to-stage concept comes from.” That’s Justin’s way of describing the full band sound he creates with loops. The improvisational element that makes live music so exciting isn’t lost. Justin refrains from using prerecorded tracks, tailoring each performance to the energy of the crowd and finds that each time he plays, new ideas come to him that he often brings back with him into the studio. 

Currently, Justin is working on an upcoming album. Taking a similar approach to his live shows, Justin will be providing all the vocals, instrumentation, and production for this project. In keeping with the DIY theme, he’ll also be releasing it soon under his own label, Moon Sauce Records. In the meantime, find Justin earnestly testing out his songs on stages around Austin.

Catch a Show
Live music fans can often find Justin performing at some of his favorite spots in town, like The Cathedral and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Contact: 
justinlangston.com
@thejustinlangston