After establishing himself with a breadth of dazzling delights last year, US artist Jacob Wesley is back on the grind once again to deliver his shimmering new single 'Fine Lines'.
Bringing back more of that warm and alluring indie-pop aesthetic he has been crafting lately, 'Fines Lines' makes for a dazzling return to form for him. With his rich and captivating vocals riding across a sensual production throughout, he returns to us with one of his more endearing efforts to date here.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Guitar. I was in my freshman year of college and I needed something to do during my downtime. I felt bad for my roommate when I was practicing because I was so bad. It probably took me a year and half before I started sounding good. Early on though, I liked learning songs but what I really loved was learning the theory behind these songs, on guitar, and then using that knowledge to create my own stuff. I have so many progressions that I came up with when I first started learning. Thankfully they’ll never see the light of day because they’re soooo bad but I was obsessed. I always felt this incredible warmth when I came up with something that I felt like captured my emotions in the music.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Oh man, I had such a varied taste when I was younger. I think, like most young kids, I kind of just listened to whatever my parents, siblings, or friends listened to. Like my dad loves REO Speedwagon, The Police, Eagles, Hall & Oates, and most of all, Alan Parsons. While my mom was mostly into what was popular at the time, she also loved artists like Cher, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, and Amy Winehouse . So, I was introduced to the classics at a pretty young age. My sister was the one that showed me popular 2000’s artists like Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, Eminem, and My Chemical Romance. All that said, I think the first song I ever remember truly having a personal interest in was “Take On Me” by a-ha.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I never owned an album because I grew up right when streaming became a thing. I remember the first song I ever bought on itunes when I got my first ipod was “Whatcha Say” by Jason Derulo. I used to play Mx vs Atv and time up the choruses when I hit a big jump. I’d pretend I was in some kind of dirt bike edit.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
There’s so many to choose from. I always like to dissect songs that interest me and over and over I’m impressed with the artists that inspire me. I think if I had to choose just one, it’d have to be “BS” by Still Woozy. The vocal melodies, the beat, the composition, even just the vibe is immaculate. Whenever I hear it, I feel like it speaks to me and that’s how I judge anything I create, “Does this speak to me?”
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I’m sure there’s similarities in my process but nothing that I actively try to adhere to. I think inspiration can be found in all kinds of ways. One time I came up with a chorus while just cooking eggs. I will say that usually when I’m writing new music it’s because there’s an emotion or an experience that I want to capture. I like to try and break the emotion or experience down and understand it at its core. I never feel confident in my writing until I know that what I’m writing, in my opinion, truly captures what it is that I’m trying to express.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’ve been listening to Caye a lot lately. His song “Aliens” is spectacular. I listen to a lot of artists though. The ones I most consistently listen to are Abhi The Nomad, Still Woozy, Peach Pit, Caye, The Black Keys, and Mac Miller. They’re the only artists where I could hit play on the first song of an album and never skip one all the way to the end.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
It’s a toss up between Still Woozy and Abhi the Nomad. If he was still alive, then I would throw Mac Miller into that conversion as well. But I’ve been to shows for both Abhi and Woozy, and they were awesome. The energy they brought out of the crowd was electric. I also like that they have extremely loyal fan bases that you know are there because they genuinely love the music.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
When someone says they resonate with your song. Life is all about finding connection and bonding with people. At the end of the day, I think most musicians are people who don’t know how else to express their emotions. So when someone finds something in your song that they relate to or feel themselves, it makes the sun shine a bit brighter.
And what is the most frustrating part?
When you no longer resonate with a track. I have a lot of old songs on my drive that I’ll never release simply because I don’t relate to them anymore. As soon as I feel like that I usually just move on. I’ve tried working on songs that I don’t relate to and it is the worst. I get really frustrated and anxious because it doesn’t feel genuine anymore. Then that feeling tends to evolve into self-doubt and I usually just have to hit a reset and create something new entirely.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“Music is expression, not perfection.” My mentor, Chris, told me that and it’s something I’m constantly trying to remind myself of. I think a lot of new artists, including myself, get caught up in how “good” a song is. Of course there’s a standard but that’s mostly on the technical side of things like mixing. When it comes to writing and composing, you can’t be worried about what other people will think when they listen. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to guess if other people will like your track or not. Artists should only be worried about whether or not they feel like they’ve captured the story they’re trying to tell in a way that they’re proud of, and feels genuine to their experience.
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Jacob Wesley's new single 'Fine Lines' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.