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Chris sat down with new INO Records artist Jonny Diaz during GMA Week last week.  Jonny talks about his life before music, his new record, and his message for the church.  Find out more about Jonny in this short interview. Who Is Jonny Diaz? Jonny Diaz is the newest signee to Christian label mainstay INO Records.  He’s released three previous independent recordings before More Beautiful You released nationwide this month.  Diaz has performed with acts like MercyMe, Casting Crowns, Shane & Shane, Bebo Norman and more.  Jonny’s debut single, “More Beautiful You,” is already a Top 20 hit at Christian radio. KEY: C:  Chris J:  Jonny Diaz C:  I got another CD of yours a couple years ago from another publicist and never opened it. J:  (laughs) C:  Well, I figured honesty was the best option here.  Then, I got this new one from INO, and I was like “Don’t I already have this CD?”  So, I went and looked and saw that it was a different one and that you were officially a signed artist.  So, I popped it in and listened to it.  Since, I’ve never interviewed you or featured your music in anyway on the site, go ahead and explain and talk about who you are, how you got your start, and all that kind of stuff. J:  Sure, well a little bit about me, I come from a non-musical family.  In fact, they’re all really bad at music to be honest.  (laughs)  Growing up, my family really fell in love with sports.  I have three older brothers, and all three of them (including myself), all went to college on scholarship to play baseball.  It’s just always been that important in our family.  In fact, my brother Matt plays for the Atlanta Braves.  It really wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I felt like God was tapping me on the shoulder and telling me “I want you to hang up this whole baseball thing.  I have a role for you in music.” So, until that time, music was always just a personal hobby.  Something I used as an outlet - a kind of journal if you will.  So at that point, God started opening doors and allowed me to make my first independent CD.  Started opening doors and allowed me places to play my music so people could hear it.  In college, I started doing it independently, and then I graduated and went full-time for about three years.  That’s where I was, just about to release my fourth independent record when INO Records got wind of it.  They said, “Hey, we really like this, and we want to put our staff behind what you’re doing.  Kind of push you forward.” C:  So, how did that album get in the hands of INO? J:  Well, my manager has a few contacts at several different labels, and he sent it out to a handful of labels that he thought would fit me well.  It was pretty cool to say that almost every single one got back with him and said they wanted to meet with me.  It was very cool and very flattering.  It hadn’t been something that I had really sought after before. C:  That’s really cool.  So tell us about the new record. J:  The record is called More Beautiful You and has a release date of May 5, 2009.  The thing is - this record was something that I recorded independently - so it’s great to say that this record turned out exactly how I wanted it.  I didn’t have any label guys looking over my shoulder to make sure it matched a certain sound or genre.  It kind of is eclectic.  Some of the songs are really more pop, while there are a couple more that almost have a country sound to them - as far as lyrically something of a Rascal Flatts vibe.  Then there’s some pretty chill acoustic songs that are more of a Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz kind of island feel.  Yeah, I get bored with CDs pretty quickly - so my goals in writing this CD were to take the listener on a journey to they wouldn’t get bored with what I was saying.  There are songs that are definitely a little different. Lyrically, I deal with different aspects of Christian faith.  I try not to have every single song talk about the saving Grace of God, even though that is a very important aspect of our faith.  But when you’re singing to a majority of Christians in the audience, I think it’s really important to speak about different aspects of the Christian faith that will hopefully inspire and challenge them instead of trying to introduce them to Christ. C:  I loved the song “The Opening Act.”  Obviously it came from some experience as being the opening act for shows.  Tell us a bit about how that song came to be. J:  (laughs)  Yeah, totally came from experience.  I’ve got to open for MercyMe, Steven Curtis Chapman, Shane & Shane and a number of people that I really admire.  One of the funny things about doing that - even though it’s a really great opportunity - you get out there and there are 5,000 people staring at you and not a single one of those people came to see you.  So, it’s kind of a humorously and humbling thing.  So, I decided to rather than let it get me down - I would embrace it and kind of make fun of myself in the process.  I just recently have been able to use it like I’ve intended it.  It’s a lot of fun, it’s a good ice breaker for a big audience that has no idea who I am.  They can quickly see who I am, what I’m about, and musically see if it fits them. C:  Right.  Totally cool.  This is your first GMA Week? J:  It is.  Right. C:  Well, it’s Wednesday, and by now you’re seen that you tend to get asked the same questions and answer things the same way every interview.  This year, I decided that I didn’t want to be “that interviewer” anymore.  Rather than pushing agendas or selling records, I really want my readers to know what’s on the heart of the artists at this moment.  So, feel free to speak candidly about what God has been doing in your life, showing you, or teaching you. J:  Well something that I’ve really been challenged with lately - like I said I write songs for people that already know Christ cause that’s my audience.  I have a song on my last record that’s called “They Need Love.”  Its general idea is just that we live in a world full of people that really just need to be shown God’s love.  Our best chance to show Christ to those people is not by preaching at them, not by sharing the Gospel with them, not by telling them what they’re doing wrong - but it ultimately starts with loving them, serving them.  So, over the last couple of years, I’ve gone around to different churches and different student groups and I say “Hey, I’m leaving here in a couple hours and moving on the next city - but you guys are still here and a part of this community.  You’re still going home to your friends, neighbors, and families, and they need to be loved and to be served.”  So, hopefully I’ve inspired those groups to just love those around them and include those around them - what it is that God’s doing in them and include those people in that. C:  That’s cool. J:  That’s kind of been my mission over the last couple of years.  Now, I’m just waiting on God to give me that next direction and tell me what He wants me to say next.  I’ve been getting the feeling that it probably is going to have to do with some area of social justice.  That is just something that has been really heavy on my heart lately.  So, as I kind of dig into that and hopefully take a trip or two this summer - I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a big part of my next record as well. C:  Have you partnered with a ministry organization yet? J:  Not yet, I’m still in meetings and praying about what is the best fit for Jonny Diaz. C:  Right - and they are all great - but they all are unique and have their own way of doing things and working around the world. J:  They’re all great - it’s not like one’s good and one’s bad.  It’s just about me finding the right fit. C:  So, switching gears a bit - let’s talk about songwriting.  How do you approach your songwriting - what is your process? J:  Well, it’s a little different every time.  I wish I had a set pattern or formula.  If I did I’d be able to stick to it, I think I’d be a little more prolific.  But, I don’t.  Sometimes I start with a melody that gets stuck in my head when I’m playing guitar that just needs lyrics put to it.  Then I just dig into writing lyrics that fit that melody - and that seems to be a much longer process.  Sometimes, I’ll get an idea and just write a poem about it.  Then I stick music to it, and that always seems to go a little bit quicker.  Yeah, I love to have an idea in mind - I love to know “OK this song is about _______.”  Whether it’s a story or a subject matter.  You’ll find that most of my songs are pretty targeted.  I don’t have many songs where one verse is about one thing and another is about something totally different.  They’re all pretty much aimed to a specific goal.  C:  Awesome, so before I left I did want to leave you with one final question - just a kind of goofy thing that I’ve been asking everybody lately.  What is currently on your DVR? J:  (laughs) Well, my wife and I have recorded American Idol so we can fast forward over Paula Abdul’s comments.  It makes the show a whole lot more bearable for us.  It’s kind of mean - but it’s the truth.  (laughs) C:  Well Jonny, it was great meeting with you and speaking with you. J:  Yeah!  Thanks for hanging out! Jonny Diaz’s debut album, More Beautiful You, released May 5, 2009 and is available nationwide through INO Records.  More information on Jonny can be found at his website.  You can also visit his MySpace here. http://thebridgelive.net/index/987/

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