We checked in with Justin Maurer and Mercy Music’s Brendan Scholz on how they spent 2020, what they learned, and their thoughts and hopes for what 2021 will hold, as part of our New Year’s Evolutions Series!
Justin Maurer – Clorox Girls
My name is Justin Maurer, and I play/ have played in the bands Clorox Girls, Red Dons, Suspect Parts, Maniac, LA Drugz, and JENNY.
My day job is as an American Sign Language Interpreter, so last March all of my in-person work was cancelled. I scrambled and eventually managed to receive unemployment and also some part time work as community colleges transitioned to online classes. I was working two days a week from home, trying to learn how to cook new dishes, trying to exercise, drinking too much, and just staying in all of the time and going crazy like everyone else.
When George Floyd and Black Lives Matter hit, I had to get out of the house and started marching in L.A. protests with friends. There was a need for Sign Language Interpretation at the press conferences, protests, events, and marches, so I started interpreting as well through a BIPOC ASL Interpreter Collective.
It was a great experience. They had drive-through COVID tests available at Dodger Stadium in L.A., so I got tested after every big march and event. I had LAPD police copters flying so low that the windows of my apartment building would be shaking day and night.
There was also some shaking going on when the National Guard came to L.A. and rolled their huge, military vehicles and tanks down Venice Blvd. Then 4th of July and fireworks.I live in a Salvadoran neighborhood, and they absolutely went nuts with fireworks on the 4th. A couple of weeks later, I drove down south to Baja and stayed down there for a while.
Musically, I had a solo EP called JENNY recorded and mastered. I contacted dozens of independent, U.S. labels about releasing it. All of them already had their 2020 releases planned, and, of course, had to put many projects on hold or cancel them altogether with the pandemic. I heard from many that they were owed money from their distributors and couldn’t continue their release schedule until they were paid.
I managed to find a German, independent label called Wanda Records who agreed to release the JENNY EP. We decided to do a limited-edition pressing of 300 on blue-colored vinyl with a screen print on the B side of the record. I found a U.S. distributor for the record, and we were off to the races!
It was a bit hard to get eyeballs on the release as online, social media feeds are just jam-packed with so much information overload, but managed to get some positive reviews in the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. distributor, Dirt Cult Records in Portland, Oregon and I also decided to do a fundraiser for our friend who is currently going through chemo treatment.
We sold a bunch of records and were able to donate a few hundred dollars to his chemo fund. I also found a little guest house rental in Baja, California and was fortunate enough to have a few long stays there and to be able to work online as an ASL Interpreter from there.
I recorded some videos of me playing guitar and singing and posted it on Instagram … seems like people were mostly into covers, it felt really unnatural to film myself playing new, unreleased songs. I started thinking about what worked for me in the past besides what I couldn’t do (touring, playing live) and thought about my contacts in synching and licensing for TV and film.
I sent them my new stuff. I also thought about doing an animated, music video for a new song, which I’m now also in the process of finding collaborators.
I collected unemployment as well as worked part time, online as an American Sign Language Interpreter. Oh, and those checks for Spotify streams at like $0.00000008 cents per streaming play. I get about $50-100 every 6 months via BMI for literally thousands of streaming plays on all of the various platforms.
I took a Spanish class, A Latin American History class, and a History of Documentary Film class. Also tried to learn some of my favorite songs on guitar, like Marty Robbins’ “El Paso.”
In the past, my bands would tour Europe at least once a year. I just heard that all music festivals in Germany were postponed until 2022. I don’t think there will be a “normal” until over 50 percent of the population gets a vaccine. However, now is a great time to rethink, strategize, and try to figure out how to precisely live the life you’d like to live.
I think we are in a COVID world until most of the population has the vaccine. When we’re finally vaccinated, restaurants and shops can re-open; bars can re-open, and rock ‘n’ roll can keep on inspiring people and providing the release that we are all craving desperately.
Images courtesy of Justin Maurer.
Brendan Scholz – Mercy Music
Brendan Scholz of Mercy Music is doing his best to keep positive and managed to set up his home for doing what he does best: creating music.
I spent the majority of it just forcing myself to keep going. It’s hard to turn off the voice in your head saying, “what’s the point,” but I’ve done my best to continue to power through. This year, much like other bands, we’ve been hugely reliant on livestreams and podcasts to get things across. I understand it will never be a live show, but it’s most certainly better than having nothing at all.
I have been lucky enough through all of this to keep my day job as a technician. Something I’m very grateful for and do not take for granted.
This year, I finally got set up for demoing/recording/ creating content at home. That totally would have never happened if not for the pandemic. I still have a desktop tape recorder I’ve used to pretty much demo anything I’ve ever released.
I’d like to be optimistic, but from looking at it right now, it doesn’t seem like any degree of normalcy will be easily attainable. Our country is currently a dumpster fire.
I think the vast majority of this year will be spent repairing (if possible) the damage of the last four. I hope, at the very least, a realistic plan for vaccination is made and executed so I can stop fearing for my wife and mother’s lives and maybe we can get back to doing what we love.
Images courtesy of Brendan Scholz.
Follow Justin Maurer on Twitter here, and Mercy Music on Instagram here.
