Tsawwassen hip-hop artist Jesse Doherty estimates he'd done easily over 100 songs over the years before really starting to put together his debut album, Lounge Chair.
"You have to be patient.It's a long process but it's worth it in the end," says Doherty, aka J. Dohe.
The 25-year-old recently released the album through Vancouver-based indie label Volunteer Media.
It took time getting to the point where your sound is where you want it, and to where you have a project that is not only to your standards but you feel is quality enough to put your money behind, he explains.
"It has to be important as an artist to be comfortable with the music," he says, adding that if you don't love it yourself, it's very hard to get behind.
Lounge Chair is described as a relaxing, easy listening and comfortable experience. "As I was coming closer and closer to being able to put this project together, I felt like my lifestyle, my kind of attitude was very easygoing, kind of carefree. That translated into this project."
Doherty says his style of hip-hop would be easy to brand as being in the "conscious" genre.
"But, I think it's just honest.
It's honest music. It's not smoke and mirrors. It's just who I am. I'm really just trying to put my life experience, and my musical experience as well, behind the music."
Doherty says he's been listening to hip-hop since he was a young kid and eventually began recording scratch songs at his friend's studio for free.
He realized he was decent and he loved to do it.
"It just progressed from there and here we are now, years later."
He's done about 15 or so shows, mostly in Vancouver, in the past year and is looking to do a Western Canada tour this year.
Doherty also has an EP, Colour Television, he aims to release this month or by early April.
He also hopes to release a full-length project, This Time Around, which is a follow up to Lounge Chair, in the fall.
He says Lounge Chair will be available on iTunes this month.
His music can be checked out at http://www.sonicbids.com/band/jdohe/audio.
Find Doherty on social media at https://www.facebook.com/pages/JDohe/19347310247 or @itsjdohe on Twitter.
