Original Music from Stu J on Spotify

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Original music from Stu J on Spotify???

Yes! Here's the current catalogue of original music from Stu J on Spotify, with little bios and credits, starting from most recent release, to oldest.

Stu J - Cherry Hill

Released May 2025 - NZ Music Month

Inspired by a lockdown romance.

Part one of a two-part song (part two coming soon)

Stu J - Cherry Hill

About The Track

I imagine most people experienced excess free-time during the Lockdown years, myself included. This track started as a rap / ska song, with a really pretty chorus that only featured a small bit, but after playing it many times I decided it was worth making a song around the main chorus hook - 'Is it real or is it something made up?'.

Hence why this song turned into a two-part ballad (with the second song still to be finished and released).

Cherry Hill puts me into a dreamy atmosphere of free-time, soft sheets, long sleep-ins and a fair dose of oxytocin =)

Giving Thanks

Thanks to Sami for the fun photoshoot - I managed to pick up the very last punnet of cherries for the 2025 Summer Season. Had a fun afternoon collecting Cherry inspired snaps.

Sami actually added the pink fingernails into the photo using AI - we thought it was a humorous touch.

Thanks Paul The Kid at Vanilla Sea Music for the final mix and master.

Thanks Oli Prendergast for the drumming, and Jordan Tannen for using your music studio!

Guitars, keys, bass and vocals all recorded, written and produced by Stu J.

Stu J - 4AM

Released January, 2025

Inspired by a short-term fling, about someone who dealt with insomnia.

My favourite track I've released to date.

Stu J - 4AM

About The Track

This song actually started out as a warmup routine I was practicing at the time. One day in particular, I had a bit of free space in my day, said hello to Mary Jane and all of a sudden my standard warmup routine pivoted into a groovy neo-soul style pop song.

It felt short and sweet, and at the time of writing lyrics I must have been up late myself, reminiscing on a recent romance in which insomnia was a talking point.

I joke that the song basically refers to sleepy sex at 4AM, which never actually occurred in the fling. Still, a great subject to write about. Hope you like it!

Giving Thanks

Thanks to Tany and Craig for the sexy and sultry photoshoot. I had a really fun idea for a music video but got shy... you'll have to ask me what I had in mind =)

Thanks Paul The Kid at Vanilla Sea Music for the final mix and master.

Thanks Oli Prendergast for the drumming, and Jordan Tannen for using your music studio!

Guitars, keys, bass and vocals all recorded, written and produced by Stu J.

Stu J - Island Time

Released August, 2024

Written in Sumatra, Indonesia - during a two month surf-trip, riding waves and living the local life by the ocean - absolute magic!

About The Track

I had close to two months traveling in Indonesia; the first part was a family holiday to Sanur, Bali, with the remainder and bulk time spent at Sumatra Surf Resort - right on the doorstep of Ujung Bocur - The Iron Reef. An epic, fast and fun left-handed wave breaking for ages!!!

I had my acoustic and small travel DJ decks with me, playing tunes and surfing non-stop. All food covered, and staying in cosy bungalows under palm trees. Hot days, bintangs, scooter rides, surfing and meeting fun people from around the world - absolute heaven.

Anyways, I wrote three songs in this time - Indonesian Shores and Lonely Star still to be released. Island Time was song that came together easily, and since first writing the music and lyrics, I've since re-structured the chords and style to be fit for a 5 piece band - which is what this track is. Higher energy, funky but smooth.

Giving Thanks

Thanks Andre at Sumatra Surf Resort for the photo! Caught in the moment, about to surf Krui Left.

Thanks Paul The Kid at Vanilla Sea Music for the final mix and master.

Thanks Oli Prendergast for the drumming, and Jordan Tannen for using your music studio!

Guitars, keys, bass and vocals all recorded, written and produced by Stu J.

Stu J - Hyper Slow

Released August, 2022

I honestly can't say where Hyper Slow came from - I just thought it sounded cool.

I lyrics lead towards the idea; slow down and simplify life.

Maybe you'll go further by doing less...

About The Track

I wrote this in my little studio space in Hobsonville Point, Auckland. I had just moved in and getting into music life there. It wasn't super regular with my producing at the time, but still this track came out.

I wrote, produced and mixed this track and, at the time, wasn't working with any mastering engineers. I sent it off to a Mastering guy on Fiverr and this is the result. Listening back to it in comparison to my more recent work there's a stark difference the the quality and final mix.

I've thought about re-doing this one as I like the song; perhaps for now it's still a nice reminder to see how far I've come on this journey!

Giving Thanks

Big thanks to ARVUS ATTAMESA for the cover art. Love your work! I used his art for one other track at the same time - was my first ever downtempo house track - you can listen to it on SoundCloud - DYKSO - Once More.

Huge thanks around this time to the bro, Ant Tarrant. I had recently been living with him for a couple years out in Kare Kare, Auckland. He taught me the ropes on Ableton, and I feel this was my first step out in the music world completely solo. Words can't express my gratitude for you!

And, cheers to the bro on Fiverr who pumped this up a lot in the Master =)

Stu J - Destination Unknown

Released November, 2021

Written about fleeting love interest, inspired by a piece of art on my wall.

About The Track

I was living out in Kare Kare and had just met a beautiful women through a friend. We hung out a few times, had a few fun acro yoga sessions, and that was it. I think there was some curiosity from both people, but perhaps not the right time. The warm-fuzzy feelings that I felt were still beautiful.

Anyway, I was sitting in bed one evening, playing guitar, and came up with some cool chords. Right in front of me was an art piece from my friend Woo Woo NZ - Destination Unknown.

An image of a spaceship suctioning up a man from Earth - the spaceship and beam looks like a mushroom! If you know me well, you will have seen it in my space.

So, I had the chorus - in no way a rip from other famous tracks with a similar name... I promise.

I transposed the guitar chords to synth, and the rest is history.

I actually filmed a pretty cool music video for this one - check it out!

Many amazing memories in this one!

Oh, and this was right in the thick of Covid.

Giving Thanks

Ant Tarrant for the support and lessons on Ableton, and also for jumping in and pumping this up a lot more than I had it!

Victor for your amazing filming, lighting and photography skills for the music video, filmed out at Bethells Beach. This guys an absolute weapon behind the lens - get in touch with him!

My good friend Jessie for the photo shoot around this same time. My first ever content shoot for my music career. I cherish the photos you took back then, and still so stoked on the one we got for the cover art! You're the man! Remember that surf we had earlier that day??? Yehhhhh

Thank-you Nina for your love and support at this time.

Stu J - We Love The Moonlight

Released December 2020

My first ever offical release! 17 years after picking up a nylon guitar for the first time.

Written about the first big solstice party we attended after Covid time. Was a special event!

About The Track

This song was also a fun exploration of song writing - I had two completely different songs written before this, and chatting with Ant at the time about process of song writing, and sitting with it for longer and really getting into lyrical real estate, I came up with this.

Ant Tarrant produced, mixed and mastered this one - came out really good I reckon.

I played guitar (rhythm and lead), bass and keys for the small bit needed.

To me this feels like a surfy, groovy pop-rock song. I like to think this song and the way it's recorded and produced has a sense of nostalgia to it. Might just be me.

Anyways, super stoked with how it came out! It was at this moment I learnt... being a musical artist means the endless hours that go into writing, recording, producing, releasing are just a small part of the journey. Creative marketing plays a huge role. Here we go the...

Giving Thanks

Ant Tarrant for your mad skills on Ableton. Get in touch with him at Sundream Studios!

Cheers to the boss, Niki Te Whaiti, for your epic saxophone skills on this track. It honestly gives it 10x more character, and is a real feature of the song in my opinion - so thank-you!!!

For the artwork, unbeknownst to her, I re-purposed this amazing moonlight photograph from a few months earlier. We were on our way to Waipu for a yoga retreat, and happened to do this really cool thing on the beach! Cheers Victoria for the stunning snaps. We've had a lot of use out of them.

And then, there was art.