«The pandemic has brought people closer together», he says to LGBTQ Music Chart. «There’s nothing like spending time surrounded by the people who matter most, even if it’s over Zoom». Written and produced by Utley and T. Harts, «All is Bright» is an optimistic, yet not overly sweet holiday song. Utley describes it as a little-bit of Lumineers/Mumford & Sons mixed in with a lot-a-bit of Justin. «It’s a unique sound that I believe has the makings to become a new holiday favourite». Justin Utley’s «All is Bright» is being distributed independently and is available on all digital platforms with all presale proceeds benefitting the Homeless Youth Resource Center of Utah.
«My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was 8 years old and my family finally got a piano», Justin recalls. «It was an old Conover upright and it weighed a few tons. I grew up playing it, wrote my first songs on it when I was 12, moved it in and out of a number of apartments before I moved to New York City. My parents still have it at their house today. It’s a nostalgic piece, and means even more to me when I play it».
Justin Utley was born and raised in Utah. His music career took off when he was selected to perform at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His single, «Stand for Something», won Best Country/Folk Song of the Year at the 2010 OutMusic Awards. SiriusXM’s OutQ Radio later named Justin «Artist of the Year».
After famously breaking ties with his Mormon roots, Justin became a sought-after talent, touring Pride Festivals alongside acts like Dan Reynolds, Icona Pop, Tegan & Sara, Margaret Cho and Billy Porter. He regularly provides insight on issues of faith and the LGBTQ community at colleges and universities throughout the USA and has appeared on CNN’s ‘Faces of Faith’ Sunday news segment, NPR, SiriusXM and MSNBC. He is a two-time recipient of the FBI’s «Inspiring Citizen of the Year» award.
«All is Bright is about bringing people together to celebrate something meaningful and special», Justin continues. «I wanted to write a song for the holidays that didn’t have lyrical ties to a specific tradition since we all value different aspects of this time of year».
Justin Utley plans to spend the holidays in Utah with his brother and his brother’s family. Like most of the world, they will not be able to enjoy time with other family members in-person, but they will be sure to gather together over Zoom.
Justin Utley’s «All is Bright» is available on all digital platforms, as is his latest album, Stars. Visit Justin Utley’s website @ Justinutley.com. Follow him on Instagram @ justinutley and Facebook @ justinutleymusic