Q & A
All-time favorite song?
02.20.20
Impossible question. Maybe “U” by Kendrick Lamar. Maaaaybe.
Can you describe a moment in your career, where you felt like you truly reached somebody or made a difference?
02.20.20
Depends on what you count as a difference, but I once saw somebody cry to song I made. That was neat.
Do you have regular gigs around town?
02.20.20
Yes! I try to do at least a couple every season. I usually have them at the Silver Orange, but I would like to expand more.
How did it first start?
02.20.20
In a garage. I had no actual talent I just enjoyed music. I had done a lot of work in my high school theater department and really enjoyed performing. Eventually, I began writing inspired by Kendrick and Frank Ocean. Later, I would do open-mics and release small side projects.
How do you describe your music to people?
02.20.20
Finding beauty in chaos.
Name a recent personal food trend.
02.20.20
Vegetables.
Tell us about how you first started gigging.
02.20.20
I got tired of being told to pay money to open for other artists so I just organized my own shows.
Tell us about this creative project. What is it?
02.20.20
This is my first actual studio album. Where the Pines Scrape the Sky is an album that forced me to grow as a person. I needed money to buy equipment and studio time so I got a job at a movie theater and a sandwich shop. Over a year-and-a-half, I really learned the value of time and money. I learned that if I was putting this much effort into making it, I owed it to myself to find a real subject to talk about. “Pines” originally was a very bitter work of rap music that portrayed everybody who doubted me or looked down upon me as an enemy. I dove deeper into why I was so bitter and what caused me to write from a place of spite. The result was a much softer, sensitive and more articulate album that shows what true maturity is as an artist and a person. I hope to release it properly in the summer.
Tell us about your best gig in Sac.
02.20.20
The Nojay and Friends Show at the Silver Orange is probably my favorite event of all time. It was so difficult to put together, book and run sound for but the results were fantastic. I have never felt more in my element.
Tell us about your worst gig.
02.20.20
I don’t know what to say, to be honest. I was having a panic attack on stage. While being given no set time or actual guidelines. I felt directionless. Since then, I have learned to prioritize artist safety and time.
Tell us about yourself.
02.20.20
While writing this I am 17 taking college courses, finishing my high school education, marketing my studio album, booking gigs and trying to prioritize my mental health. If I were to describe myself it would be persistent to a fault. I find music to be one of the few grounding things in my life that provides fulfillment and scratches the itch to work.
What are your musical goals?
02.20.20
In four years at most, I would like to have sold 1 million records and be on tour. I honestly would just like to sustain my passion. I don’t need to be rich and I don’t particularly want to be famous. I enjoy performing and connecting with other artists.
What artist or band are you a little embarrassed to love, and why?
02.20.20
Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake.
What do you sing in the shower? (Be honest.)
02.20.20
Stella Donelly’s entire discography.
What drives you to keep interviewing even though the music industry can be so harsh?
02.20.20
The friends you make and the music you create. I never feel insecure talking about or doing what I love.
What's a big musical inspiration that would most surprise your fans?
02.20.20
Lorde? Lana Del Rey? Maybe Nina Simone?
What's next for you?
02.20.20
Beginning my press run, dropping this album, doing some gigs and staying optimistic.
What's something most of your friends don't know about you?
02.20.20
I date men. I date women.
What's the best part of this experience?
02.20.20
I honestly have been told no for so long and have worked so hard on this music it is really just nice to be acknowledged.
What's the story behind the name?
02.20.20
Nojay is a childhood nickname of mine given to me by my father. My name is Nolan J. Gomez. No+J = Nojay? I don’t know it’s not too clever but I like it.
What's your favorite local artist/group?
02.20.20
Igwe Aka, The Philharmonik, Basi Vibe, Bailey Hoover and Paper Airplanes.
What’s your favorite song to perform live right now?
02.20.20
"Forward Only." I like seeing people fight over noises.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
02.20.20
Making some great music with some great people.
Who is your secret star crush?
02.20.20
There’s this one girl right now. But I can’t tell you—it is a secret.
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