VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Cody Lovaas On His New Music, Being Mentored By Jason Mraz

Cody Lovaas is one of today’s top rising pop-rock stars and has some brand new music to share with the world.

The 20-year-old musician sat down with uInterview exclusively to discuss his first EP and how he came to be under Jason Mraz‘s mentorship, among other things.

“I’m very excited about this project,” said Lovaas of his EP, Honestly. “I’ve released a bunch of singles but this is my new project. It’s just a bunch of stories about the last nine to ten months of my life. It’s going to be a six-song EP and I’m very excited to get it out. It’s just a bunch of me.”

Lovaas went on to describe how personal his new music is, as it is nearly all based on his recent life experiences in Southern California, where he loves to surf.

“The first track [on the album] is a song ‘Talk Slow,’ it’s going to be the single off the EP as well,” he explained. “That one is about a two-hour relationship that I had. I was performing at this party in Santa Barbara and afterwards there was this VIP disco party, and it was actually like a fashion show. So there were like 40 models and my best friends were there and it was just such a great time.”

“It was just one of those parties where all of your senses are like on 12. It’s crazy,” Lovaas added.

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The singer-songwriter went on to describe how he stepped away from the party to talk to a girl for about two hours and felt a strong connection with her.

Lovaas has cited John Mayer, Ray Lamontagne and Van Morrison as some of his favorite artists, but it was Mraz who took him under his wing.

“I was just a young little Grom surfer kid who really loved music and I just started writing songs and I was doing these open mics all the time,” said Lovaas. “I just loved showing my music off to as many people as I could.”

“One night, I got really fortunate that Jason Mraz was in the crowd and he actually came up and did some songs at the open mic,” he continued. “Afterwards, I played some songs and he was really interested and he wanted me to be his protege.”

Lovaas explained that part of what drew him to Mraz was the fact that he wasn’t strict about following any type of “rules,” but rather let him learn as his music career went on.

Read full interview transcript below:

Q: What can fans expect from your new EP?

A: I’m very excited about this project. I released a bunch of singles, but this the first of my debut project, the first EP I ever put out. And it is just I me and it’s a bunch of stories about the last nine-ten months of my life and what’s been going on. But it’s gonna be a six-song EP and I’m really excited to get it out. It’s just a bunch of me.

Q: What’s the first track to be released

A: The first track is a song called “Talk Slow.” That one is about a 2-hour relationship that I had. I was at this party, I was performing at this party in Santa Barbara and afterwards there was like this VIP Disco party dance party. It was actually a fashion show so there was like 40 models and my best friends were there and it was such a great time and it was just one of those parties where all your senses are just like on 12 it’s like crazy. And in the midst of all the craziness, I met this girl and we kinda went outside of the party and ended up sitting in a garden talking for two hours, feeling like it was just her and so there was a distraction every few minutes that brought us apart.

Q: How did you meet Jason Mraz?

A. I was just a young little Grom surfer kid who really loved music and I just started writing songs. I was doing these open mics all the time just love showing my music off to as many people as I could and one night I got really fortunate that Jason Mraz was in the crowd. He actually came up and did some songs at the open mic, and afterward I played some songs and he was really interested and he wanted me to be his protege. But he was never really the guy that was like, “here’s the rules.” He kinda just brought me into his life and I was always the open eyed kid trying to learn and observe and he let me do that and I learned so much from watching.