Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ezra Jordan

Ezra Jordan is an artist on the rise, and his story is one of resilience and strength. He first caught the industry’s eye (or should we say ear?) as a talented pianist. But at the age of eighteen, his life was put on hold and he was forced to find new ways to express himself after suffering a life-threatening injury. Refusing to lie down, that traumatic event led Ezra to discover his passion for songwriting.

To date, he has over four million streams on Spotify alone and has toured the country captivating audiences with his stage presence. Pop Culturalist caught up with Ezra to chat about his career and the release of his new EP, Cheap Therapy.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Ezra: I grew up in a musical household, so I’ve always been passionate about music. Ever since I started piano at four, I’ve known it’s what I wanted to do for my whole life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Ezra: It’s so hard to pick just one thing because there have been so many things. For starters, my parents had a huge influence on me because I watched them pursue their own musical careers as I was growing up. My piano teacher was also the other biggest musical influence I had because she forced me out of my comfort zone and was the first person to convince me to start collaborating musically and begin to play with other musicians.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Ezra: The moment that stands out the most to me is being selected to be on CTV’s The Launch. At that point, I had been releasing music for a little while, but this immediately felt so much more big time than that. Being thrust onto a nationally televised stage with industry heavyweights that I had looked up to for years was a surreal experience.

PC: As a young adult, you suffered a traumatic and life-threatening injury. What did you learn about yourself during that rehabilitation, as a person and as an artist?
Ezra: That injury completely changed my personality. Even now when I think back to memories from before it happened, it almost feels like watching a movie of someone else’s life. The injury taught me how resilient I could be, how important it was for me to have a musical outlet, and most important, what my true priorities were. Almost immediately after recovering, I got over the shyness and anxiety that had affected me for all my life and stopped caring about the things that I couldn’t control.

PC: Your new EP is out now. Tell us about Cheap Therapy and the inspiration behind the collection.
Ezra: Cheap Therapy was written about the entire life cycle of a relationship I was in previously, from beginning to end. It starts off with all the optimism and excitement that you go through during the honeymoon phase, through the parts where problems start to arise, all the way to the breakup and healing process. I wrote it as I was going through that journey, and putting it out is a really nice way to wrap up that chapter of my life.

PC: If you had to choose one song off Cheap Therapy that best encompasses you as an artist, what would it be and why?
Ezra: The song that most encompasses me as an artist is probably “Waiting For You.” That song is true to the R&B, funk, and soul roots that I love so much. I was a huge D’Angelo and John Mayer fan growing up, and I draw a lot of inspiration from that.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for you?
Ezra: The rest of 2020 is somewhat of a question mark, seeing as the whole world seems to have ground to a halt. That plan was to move down to Los Angeles after the release of the EP, but now that has been put on hold until things settle down. Until then, I’ll just be pushing my EP and creating as much new music and content as possible!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Ezra: Skepta

PC: First album you bought?
Ezra: Californication [Red Hot Chili Peppers]

PC: First concert you attended?
Ezra: Coldplay

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Ezra: Continuum by John Mayer. It changed my life because it was so unique and so completely authentic. It had such a defined style, and every aspect from the songwriting to the way it was produced and recorded all fell perfectly in line.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Ezra: Hollywood Bowl

PC: A must-have on the road?
Ezra: Noise-cancelling headphones

To keep up with Ezra, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream Cheap Therapy today.