We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Leslie Meek, aka J U N O, and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When you’re first starting out in any industry, but especially the entertainment industry, there are a lot of walls placed in front of you. So many that at times it may seem like there’s no way that you can make it as a freelancer on your own. That’s hardly the truth.

Prior to the pandemic I was regularly looking for the next opportunity I had to PROVE that I was capable of the job at hand. Sometimes that manifested itself in the form of an audition, sometimes it was taking a job I was way overqualified for because it might get me a foot in the door somewhere, sometimes it meant actively “clipping my own wings” so to speak, so that I could fly with a group that MIGHT get me to where I actually wanted to be.

When COVID hit and the world shifted dramatically, the powers that be that normally had the jobs and gigs that I really wanted were radio silent and that’s when it dawned on me. I had been WAITING for someone to give me permission to create. It became incredibly clear to me that if I didn’t create opportunities for myself then the opportunities wouldn’t exist. I began reading and learning as much as I could about the music industry, took some classes, read some more, and then just started making as much as I could.

Since then I’ve released 2 albums, 4 singles, gained over 200,000 streams on Spotify and worked with tons of new artists. I absolutely found that once I had began creating for myself other people wanted to bring that energy into their projects. It’s lead to an incredible network of creatives that I’ve had the privilege to work with all over the world, and that 100% wouldn’t have happened had I stayed waiting for permission to create.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a music producer and artist. I’m a director, sound designer, and actor. I love to create in just about anyway that I can manage. Working as a performer and artist is already a challenging path, let alone with a global pandemic thrown into the mix. With that said thought the vast majority of my favorite projects and successes have come after 2020.

With so much of the world “closed” during 2020 I took it upon myself to just start making as much as I could. Music, art, scripts, it didn’t matter, I just wanted to create. So that’s what I did.

I surrounded myself with people who had a similar, “get-shit-done” energy. People who wouldn’t just sit around talking about things they wanted to do but actually did them. A lot started to click from there.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with an independent label in Germany, “Vinyl Digital” released two singles with them, recently crossed 200,000 total streams on Spotify with my 2nd album “Almost Never What It Seems” recently breaking 100k streams on it’s own. I’ve worked with national companies and brands to help them with their “sonic” direction, and recently have worked on some of my favorite theatrical endeavors yet.

The thing I’m most proud of though is all the connections I’ve been able to make. Collaborating is truly the spice of life for me. To get to have worked with so many different people and cultures over the last couple years has been a phenomenal experience for me and I can’t wait to see who I’ll be working with next.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I spent a lot of my early adult life in Eastwood so the east side of Houston is definitely a must visit for me.

Mug Monday at Moontower Inn for incredible beer offerings and some dank wild game hot dogs.
Grab some daquiri’s at Voodoo Queen. Hang out at 8th Wonder for some Rocket Fuel and maybe walk over to Truck Yard to get some food.
Definitely gonna take a street art bike ride through EaDo.

Of course we’re gonna see some theatre, likely at Rec Room Arts or 4th Wall Theatre Co, though there is so much great theatre happening at any given point.

The Houston museum district is world class and you can easily spend a whole day at the MFAH or HMNS (hello butterfly exhibit).

Definitely got to have breakfast at Breakfast Klub or maybe grab a torta from Delicias Maya usually posted up at Blackhole or Antidote Coffee shop.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to make it clear that when I say I created my own opportunities I did not do this alone. I’ve had a close network of people who have regularly boosted me and helped me as I go down this path.

First off my man Dillon Dewitt (@dillondewi11) has been a great friend and long time collaborator for many years. We met when I was directing a production of Rome & Juliet and I had cast him as Romeo. The rest is history! He was monumental in me getting started in making music, from long jam sessions that would last way past 2am to locking ourselves in the studio for basically 5 days straight at the top of pandemic the “J U N O” DNA is synced with him.
In that same regard my partner Hannah (@_hcreates_) has helped me make just about every album art in my discography and I wouldn’t be close to the person I am today without their support.

It would be remiss of me to mention creative collaborators and not mention Gabriel Regojo. We’ve been friends since we were at UH for theatre together and have worked on more projects together than I can count. You can catch him regularly tearing it up on stage at one of Houston’s many great theatre companies.

Speaking of Houston Theatre, I’d like to shout out two companies, 4th Wall Theatre Co. (@4thwallhouston) & Rec Room Arts (@recroomhtx) for being the companies that have really been an artistic home for me and allowed me to really grow as a designer and creative.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “Like everyone, to get to where I am, I stood on the shoulders of giants. My life was built on a foundation of parents, coaches, and teachers; of mentors who shared wisdom and advice; of idols who motivated me from the pages of magazines”.

Shout out all the mentors in my life.

Website: www.junomusichtx.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/junomusichtx

Twitter: www.twitter.com/JUNOmusichtx

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JUNOmusicHTX

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1xLXdvsfD4sW9PiTcKdYg

Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JUNOmusicHTX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nRn9z7xVlDPhQ9BX2bE24?si=VO379LK-SauOeyoWaH8ZjQ Email: junomusichtx@gmail.com

Image Credits
Hannah Warren (@_hcreates_) Tasha Gorel (@tashagorel)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.