Austin Gatus is a soulful SoCal indie-pop singer-songwriter, hopeless romantic, and saxophonist. Not too long ago, he released a jazzy indie-soul song “Don’t Want This to Change,” featuring American Idol alum Sophia James (@sophiajamesmusic – who made the top 11 as Sophia Wackerman).
Austin Gatus – “Don’t Want This to Change” Song featuring Sophia James
“Don’t Want This to Change” is about young love, starting a new relationship, then learning to love while apart. Its jazzy guitars and keys, along with throwback string and horn lines, leave space for Gatus and James’ velvety smooth vocals to carry this romantic ballad. They lovingly sing, “I don’t need nobody else but you and I don’t want that to change,” as Gatus’ saxophone weaves its way through this declaration of love. It’s perfectly built for both wedding and make-out playlists, bringing the sexy saxophone back in vogue.
“Don’t Want This to Change” captures the butterflies-in-the-stomach beginning of a long-distance relationship that Gatus would be in for over half a decade. The song narrates building a strong foundation with your partner and figuring out what you both need to make it work. Gatus sings, “The way you make it feel like home, it’s nice to know that you’re my own. Through highs and lows, with you, I’ll go. And we’ll both grow, but I won’t let this change.”
Austin Gatus and Sophia James’ live session
Austin Gatus met producer David Li at UCLA’s Spring Sing where Gatus performed at. He was part of another act, but they’ve kept in touch and stayed friends. Gatus was shaping “Don’t Want This to Change” into a vintage R&B song and brought Li on as a ringer to co-produce. Li gave it a new life, playing guitars, bass, drums, and keys on the track.
In his own words, Austin Gatus explains, “We were working on the song, and I realized that I wanted to make it a duet to get both sides of the relationship. I sent the song to Sophia, and she wrote the other verse. Her voice really glues that jazz-soul sound together. We have different vocal ranges, so I wrote a bridge in different keys to accommodate that.”
This dynamic can be seen in the “Don’t Want This to Change” live session video that was filmed at a Westwood, Los Angeles studio, with Gatus exhibiting his exceptional saxophone chops. Here we witness Gatus and James’ charming energy and artistic chemistry together as they perform a slightly different arrangement of the song with a full band accompanying them.
“Don’t Want This to Change” is the first single from Austin Gatus’ upcoming EP, “You’re My Muse,” available in late 2025. The song sets the stage for a new chapter in Gatus’ life and career and sets up act one of a beautifully earnest and emotional journey.
Austin Gatus and Sophia James’ live session
“You’re My Muse” EP is an exorcism of the soul to move on from this great love of Austin Gatus’ life and into an unknown future. It’s a project that’s tender and nostalgic without being sappy and overwrought. It’s a reminder of the importance of love and to not take those moments in our lives for granted.
“You’re My Muse” is ultimately a collection of love songs about navigating, maintaining, and ultimately losing a long-distance relationship. It’s a hopeful breakup record about growth and the realization that love can only take you so far if the timing isn’t right; perfect for those in the throes of college-days passions.
On the surface, “You’re My Muse” fits perfectly with slow dances, innocent kisses, and romantic dinners, but the tragedy of this EP is that we know this relationship ultimately doesn’t work out—that our two protagonists sail off to different cities to live separate lives. We can dream and wonder about what could’ve been along with Gatus, as we embrace the universality of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “In Memoriam A.H.H.” quote, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” It feels simultaneously loving, sexy, and heartbreaking, as all relationships do at one time or another.
“Prelude”
“You’re My Muse” opens with “Prelude,” a cinematically orchestral ballad reminiscent of a Tony Bennett jazz standard, with golden-age Hollywood instrumentation, and a modern Laufey swagger. The end of the song swells into a “You’re My Muse” reprise before moving into “Don’t Want This To Change.”
“Hope You’re Okay”
The groove-heavy “Hope You’re Okay” is a fun and sensual track about reminiscing about the good times in a relationship. “So, I stayed in my lane and made time to grow,” Gatus sings in a line that ties the entire EP together. Its catchy bassline and spicy chorus wouldn’t be out of place in the same breath with artists like Charlie Puth or Bruno Mars.
“This song is about looking back at the past and hoping that the other person is doing okay,” says Gatus. “I’m doing okay too. That delayed hit in the chorus when I sing ‘okay’ makes this song memorable for me. I continue on this theme of growing after things don’t go right. Learning to adapt. To take care of yourself. Looking back on it and being like, ‘Oh, now that I’m in a better space I can look back and check up on that situation.’”
“Love Can Only Take You So Far”
The mid-century soul-pop power ballad “Love Can Only Take You So Far” balances jazzy piano and dreamy strings with Gatus’ sultry vocals. The song is a self-aware tragedy. This relationship can’t survive with the missing elements of timing, shared goals, and not being in the same city. It’s a song about mutual loss and taking time to focus on your dreams while you’re young. Gatus staying in LA to pursue his musical career, while his partner navigates academia at Yale and Stanford, makes for a bittersweet real-life ending that can be felt in the repeating chants of the song’s title in the chorus, “Love can only take you so far.”
“You’re My Muse”
The piano ballad title track “You’re My Muse,” closes the EP with an ethereal and orchestrated soundscape that’s guided by Gatus’ gentle, gossamer vocal delivery. Written for their fifth anniversary, Gatus professed his love by declaring that she’s his biggest inspiration… for his music and life in general.
Austin Gatus
Austin Gatus is a heart-on-his-sleeve romantic who’s survived childhood cancer, graduated from his dream school UCLA, and has gone on to perform with or open for heavy hitters like Harry Styles (at his headlining Coachella 2022 performance), Rufus Wainwright, Kim Dracula, MAX, Two Friends, Kenny G, Dave Koz, ‘70s disco legends Average White Band, and American Idol participants Jessica Sanchez and Sophia James.
Gatus grew up in a musical San Diego household, with his father singing and playing jazz standards and Broadway tunes on the family piano. His father, a true jazz devotee, guided Gatus toward the instrument he loved most – the saxophone. “I remember playing it for the first time, it just felt so natural,” says Gatus. “It was my calling.”
From that moment on Gatus excelled at the instrument, playing years ahead of his age group and competing for top honors throughout college at UCLA. “I was part of Samahang, a Filipino organization at UCLA,” says Gatus. “It was performed at our Samahang Pilipino Cultural Night for the student body. It took up most of my senior year. It was my first time arranging strings, horns, and orchestral elements. This experience is what led me to scoring films throughout the pandemic.”
Gatus is now taking what he learned from those opportunities to utilize in his solo career. With “Don’t Want This to Change,” he’s ready to step back into the spotlight as a wiser and more experienced artist. “I’ve found my sound, and the influences to help shape that sound,” says Gatus. “I had the vision way back in high school, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. It took time for me to gain that skill and meet the people who could help me shape that vision. I’m feeling comfortable on this record, but I won’t let myself get too comfortable. I’ll keep pushing myself as a musician. I’m expanding my musical tastes and expanding the industry side of this music business. I always learn something new playing with these bigger artists: arranging music, and preparing a live show. I’m looking forward to spotlighting my own music again and playing as many shows as possible to support this EP.”
Austin Gatus – “Don’t Want This to Change” featuring Sophia James
We recommend adding Austin Gatus’ “Don’t Want This to Change” song to your favorite indie-soul playlist. We would love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and let us know how you feel. Your feedback helps us bring you more of what you love to discover. As always, thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment.com, your go-to source for new music and entertainment news. Remember, (P)ositive (E)nergy (A)lways (C)reates (E)levation—P.E.A.C.E.
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- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
