For years John Jigitz worked behind the scenes helping other artists build their careers while quietly crafting his own music in private. He took production seriously but kept it hidden from colleagues and friends — until a personal upheaval pushed him into the light.

Sitting over lunch on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, the producer said he never imagined his tracks would become a real career. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, he studied at Portland State University and then joined the music industry, rising from assistant roles to positions at UMG and Interscope before moving into culture marketing and content strategy.

All the while he made polished, indie-dance songs — posting anonymously to SoundCloud, but avoiding the kind of public-facing social accounts that might expose him. Coworkers eventually suspected he was behind the tracks online, but Jigitz denied it: he worried that being discovered could jeopardize his day job.

When the long-distance relationship that had brought him to New York ended, he sank into a difficult period and turned to music as a refuge. Endless studio hours became a means of coping, and on a psychedelic trip with friends he realized music was the thing he truly wanted to dedicate himself to.

That leap of faith paid off. His songs have accumulated millions of streams, prompted label interest and led to an expanding touring schedule. A North American run that launched in Boston (after a three-show stint in Austria and Germany in August) precedes several Australian dates planned for January. Social posts announcing the tour filled with fans hunting for tickets, and footage from his Aug. 3 Lollapalooza debut drew enthusiastic response online.

Remarkably, until April of this year he still kept a nine-to-five. He left his job to pursue music full time, buoyed by support from his employer and a publishing advance from APG that funded a focused writing period in Bozeman, Montana. Isolated in a scenic rental that felt like a screensaver, he worked obsessively — often for 15 hours a day over multiple days — determined not to squander the opportunity.

Jigitz describes himself as “kind of a nervous guy,” and his relentless work ethic reflects lessons learned while witnessing other artists’ careers up close: some become complacent after big advances, others get stuck in perfectionism. He restructured his habits to prioritize productivity over distraction — though he admits he still indulges in the occasional episode of Love Island.

That intensive stretch produced his July EP all my exes live in brooklyn, a collection of eight tracks assembled from new material and previously finished songs. The project — an intentional nod to George Strait’s classic title, albeit transposed to a different borough — features “tell you straight,” which has amassed nearly 40 million Spotify streams and about 2.8 million views on YouTube.

The EP balances heartbreak and catharsis with buoyant, dance-forward production that listeners familiar with contemporary left-of-center pop will gravitate toward. Released via R&R, the collection arrived amid a bidding atmosphere last summer — multiple labels courted him, but he ultimately stayed with R&R, which supports artists like Mk.gee and Dijon.

On Sept. 19 Jigitz released the single “s.o.s.” featuring Los Angeles vocalist Tabi; in its first 11 days the track logged roughly 800,000 combined streams across Spotify and YouTube. That early traction reflects not only the songs themselves but Jigitz’s savvy with social marketing — experience he honed during his label and agency roles. His Instagram and TikTok now blend cinematic clips with candid behind-the-scenes moments, and he says he’s finally comfortable posting in a way that feels authentic rather than performative.

Part of his visual identity — and a memorable stage element — is an ongoing collaboration with ballerinas. The idea emerged during the breakup era when he choreographed an extended ballet to his music as a private form of expression; he later hired a dancer to perform at a DIY show. The marriage of indie-dance sets and ballet has become a signature touch, visible on the EP artwork, in promotional clips and in the “s.o.s.” video. One frequent collaborator is Paige Litle, a USC alum who has also performed with The Rockettes.

While the ballerinas aren’t traveling with him for the fall run — many of the shows are staged in-the-round, where the crowd energy can be intense — the theatrical concept remains central to his creative vision. “I was losing money — making $200 and spending $600 — but it felt essential,” he says, describing the fulfillment that outweighed the cost.

These days the contrast with his former office life is stark. Instead of dreading Mondays, he approaches every day as an opportunity to create. “I don’t get Sunday scaries anymore,” he says. “That’s not a thing I experience.”

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