John Cruz plans to use his time
on stage to preview new material
from an album eight years
in the making

When John Cruz won two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 1997, it seemed as if things had come full circle for the kid from Palolo Valley.

After a stint in his father's band as a teenager, Cruz spent a dozen years on the East Coast before moving back home and releasing "Island Style," which collected Hokus for Most Promising Artist and Contemporary Album of the Year.

But the follow-up he was supposed to put out didn't materialize. Returning to the grind of Waikiki's entertainment scene only reinforced his aversion to aloha attire and cover tunes.

Eventually, a number of steady gigs evolved into one night a week at Anna Bannana's, which led to his current home on Sundays at Kapahulu's On Stage Drinks and Grinds. Except for his contribution to the Grammy Award-winning "Slack Key Volume 2," there hasn't been much to speak of from Cruz in almost eight years.

So what gives? Will fans have to keep waiting for new material to show up in stores?

"I KNOW I've been holding out," the musician confessed as he prepped for last Sunday's "Cruz Nite" at On Stage. "Believe me, it hasn't been malicious!"

Part of his withdrawal from the island music scene resulted from the births of his three children. He also discovered how hard it was to operate a record label.

"I sort of realize now that I wanted to start a label, but I didn't want to run one," he said with a laugh. "I didn't realize it was that difficult and took up that much time."

Following his debut and another album by brother Guy Cruz, Lilikoi Records stopped releasing new material. Cruz plans to change that with a full-length album later this year.

"It's something that's obviously been on my back for a while," he said. "We don't have a date set in stone yet."

Much like "Acoustic Soul," the as-yet-untitled record will mainly consist of Cruz's voice and an acoustic guitar. But while the first album focused on universal topics that everyone could relate to, this one will take a much more introspective look into his life.

"The material on this album tends to be a little more personal," said Cruz. "I communicate through my music. ... It's a lot easier if I put my feelings into a song than try to explain (individually) to all these people looking at you for something."

THE EXTENDED delay in recording did result in one positive outcome for Cruz's overall creative process.

"For a couple of the songs, I'm glad I didn't (record) them" immediately after they were originally written, he said. "Some of the stuff that was going to go on this album has sort of faded out and been replaced with songs I feel more strongly about."

Those lucky enough to hold tickets for Saturday's sold-out Oahu stop of the Kokua Festival will get a sneak preview of Cruz's newest work, along with crowd-pleasers like "Island Style" and "Sitting In Limbo." He's still trying to finalize a song list for his 35-minute set, something he normally doesn't have to worry about during Sunday evening jam sessions in Kapahulu.

"I've got to streamline it and figure out what I want to do," said Cruz. "We gotta do a couple of hits, I guess."