Twenty-two-year-old Jonathan Timberlake wants to make his own name in the music industry but isn’t bothered by comparisons to his brother, Justin. He and Liv Miraldi met at Belmont University and released their first single “Poison in the Blood” last summer.
Jonathan Timberlake, 22-year-old younger brother of superstar Justin Timberlake, could sit around worrying that people think he is getting his music career handed to him on a silver platter.
But Timberlake is too busy doing what he loves — writing and playing music.
“First of all, I think the music industry is one of the hardest industries to break into no matter who you are,†the native Memphian, who graduated from Evangelical Christian School in 2012 said. “You can be the most well-connected person and never make it. You can also be the person that doesn’t know a soul in the industry, and you can end up with a huge career.â€
Timberlake said there are advantages and disadvantages to having a famous brother.
He said he could spend hours naming ways that his situation is harder and easier than the average young musician.
“However, at the end of the day, rather than driving myself crazy by micro-analyzing my situation, I just want to make music. And that’s precisely what I do,†Timberlake said.
After high school, he attended Belmont University in Nashville for two years, majoring in music business.
Then he took a break from school for a couple of years so he could focus on making music.
Timberlake made his debut as a producer with a new Nashvillebased artist Liv Miraldi (LIV). The duo’s single, “Poison in the Blood,†came out last summer.
“In a music history class my sophomore year at Belmont University, I met Liv Miraldi,†Timberlake said. “After a couple conversations, we thought it might be worth a shot to try and write together. That first cowrite went really well, and we eventually decided to work as partners, which led to the creation of the artist known as LIV. Since that time, we’ve continued working together, developing our sound, figuring out the business and working on branding. It’s been an incredible learning experience, and I’m sure it’ll continue for quite some time.â€
Timberlake doesn’t waste time worrying about whether his work will be compared to his brother Justin’s.
“We live in a world of comparison,†he said. “Even if we don’t intend to, we constantly compare people to other people. Now, in my personal experience, I’ve found that I can’t let myself be bothered by the thought of being compared to Justin. It’s happened my whole life. It’s probably happening right now, as people read this. It’s out of my control, though, and I can’t expect people to do otherwise.â€
Music has been a part of Timberlake’s life since he was born.
When he was only 5 years old, he received his first drum set.
He began learning guitar, piano and bass when he was 12.
“It’s something that’s been a part of my nature,†Timberlake said. “I’ve never known it to be otherwise.â€
He constantly found himself being influenced by a vast array of sounds.
He was extremely close with his grandfather on his mother’s side, who loved music.
“Whenever I rode in the car with him anywhere, he always had either the oldies station or a gospel cassette tape on,†Timberlake said. “I can’t say I was the most die-hard fan of either at the time, but it undoubtedly shaped my mind for music.â€
Having grown up in Memphis, Timberlake has also been inspired by the blues factor.
His uncle is a professional bassist in the Memphis area and Timberlake has watched him play blues gigs his whole life.
His father, his older brother Justin and his own personal discoveries are where he has found the most influence, Timberlake said.
“My father gave me a pretty extensive introduction into the world of classic rock and all the music from the 60s, 70s and 80s,†Timberlake said. “Justin, other than having influenced me with his own music, taught me a greater appreciation for the production aspect of music. He introduced me to artists anywhere from D’Angelo to Radiohead.â€
In his own search for music, Jonathan has been infatuated with and inspired by every genre under the sun.
“Whether it’s pop, hip hop, metal, jazz or Gregorian chants, there’s always something that can be taken away and appreciated,†Timberlake said.
He will be going back to school to finish his degree through the prestigious Berklee School of Music’s online music business program.
“My dream job is to do precisely what I’m doing now, producing music and playing shows, but on a bigger scale,†Timberlake said. “I want to continue making music. I want to work with more people and play more shows. I want to learn from everyone I can and hopefully, I can make some money to buy my groceries in the process.â€
