AJ Santana grew up surrounded by music and developed the skill of lyric memorization. Following his passion, Santana joined his first "screamo" band at the age of 16 and bounced from metal band to metal band in Houston before stumbling into the cover industry, he said.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you first get into music and what drew you to the genre you play?
My parents were my first "A&R" reps. My mom is a dancing fool and my dad is a rocker; music was the language we used to connect. Growing up, my ears were a melting pot—Aerosmith and Garth Brooks from my mom, Steve Miller and Pantera from my dad, plus my sisters' R&B and my friends' Nu-Metal. I made one rule for myself: Never turn down a microphone. I started in rap, moved to metal and eventually transitioned into covers where I truly found my range. Today, I’m a "multi-genre lovin’ fool." Whether it’s rock, country, hip hop, or blues, I believe good music is good music. I refuse to be pinned down to one genre because music is alive and ever-evolving—and so am I.
How has the local music scene shaped you as an artist?
They say if you move to a place where no one knows you, you can be anyone you want to be. Houston gave me the space to explore that. In the cover world, I’m surrounded by a "merry band" of master-class performers who share notes and back each other up without hesitation. In the "original" world, I like to think of myself as a planet with massive gravitational pull calibrated for grit, wizardry and exceptional good looks. It’s the only way to explain the journey and how my team came together. I didn't realize that being a multi-genre artist could be a total game-changer until I met my crew here. Teamwork is the only way the dream works, and Houston provided the community to make that dream a reality.
Where do you usually find inspiration for your songs?
Like every songwriter, I have a notes app full of half-baked phrases, but my real inspiration comes from the instrument. I wander on the acoustic guitar or piano until my ear tells me to stay. I try to "bake" the sound into my hands so my mind can be free to hear the melodies. Once my hands are on autopilot, the emotion of the song reveals itself. I write about moments and feelings rather than trying to write a perfect story. I’d rather connect with the listener through a shared emotion than a perfectly structured narrative.
Is there a song in your catalog that feels especially personal? Why?
People often ask how I remember three hours of lyrics a night. The answer is simple: I’m a madman who obsesses over these songs because I love them. Every song feels personal, whether I wrote it or I’m covering it. If I had to pick, "Round Here" by Counting Crows is the cover that hits home every time. For my original work, it’s "And My Pride" (available on all streaming platforms). It captures a specific vulnerability that defines who I am as an artist.
