Following the rapturous response to his much-loved 'viole(n)t dreams' EP last year, US artist Jei-Rynn is back on the grind once again to deliver his dynamic new EP 'gas mask baby'.
Featuring the previously shared gems 'maybe?' and 'never dying young', this new five-track collection makes for an incredibly bold and infectious listen. Exploring more of that anthemic pop-rock aesthetic he has become synonymous with, 'gas mask baby' marks one of his more impactful releases to date.
So with the new EP available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I started on the piano but the guitar was really the first instrument I fell in love with. I think just how immediate it was to fret a note and get a decent sound out was appealing and rewarding to me. And I could learn music I was actually listening to as well, whereas on piano it was a lot of classical music that I couldn’t appreciate yet. Within a few months I was writing my own “songs” on the guitar. As a conduit for songwriting, my relationship with the guitar remains such a vital one. Messing around with new chords has always been a good starting place for new ideas for me. I think I’m just partial to string instruments in general too, piano included.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I really did love all kinds of music growing up. My parents would play the Beatles and the Beach Boys in the house, and I remember loving their songs and their melodies. Particularly the Beatles, who were one of the first bands I really got into as an individual at like 11 or 12. The Magical Mystery Tour record, with songs like “I Am the Walrus” and “Strawberry Fields Forever”, really spoke to me in those pre-teen years when I was starting to feel more complex things. I love the Beach Boys as well. I think both bands’ amazing use of vocal harmonies must have influenced me on a subconscious level growing up. Melody is really important to my songwriting.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Linkin Park’s Meteora album was the first I ever bought. I must have been around 10. Their songs have an angst and emotionality to them that’s presented in a really digestible way, and I think that’s why they’ve spoken to so many kids like myself. Aesthetically, I loved the distorted guitars and the vocal tonality of both Chester and Mike’s voices. The blend of heavy guitars with hiphop was appealing to me. I’ve always liked music and art that’s emotionally heavy, and I was seeking that out even at 10 when I was first really getting into music.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Waltz #2 by Elliott Smith is one song I wish I could have written myself. It really is a perfect song, and I think there’s a reason it’s one of his more popular tracks. The main melody, first played in the track on the piano, is so iconic and memorable. The lyrics are powerful, with the couplet “I’m never gonna know you now / But I’m gonna love you anyhow” being maybe the best couplet in pop music ever, in my opinion. The structure of the song is amazing as well. For the song to be able to maintain interest with a third verse after the bridge (which ends with the emotionally honest and vulnerable line “I’m here today and expected to stay / On and on and on / I’m tired”) is an amazing feat to me. And the third verse may be my favorite in the song. The song has so much to relate to with regard to the complexities of love and relationships (both romantic and familial), loss, and about existence and ego in general. It’s truly a perfect song, and Elliott had a few.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I have about a million ideas on my voice recorder app on my phone, with a series of notes about them in my notes app. The songs that I take from an initial idea to a fully fleshed out recording see multiple new iterations and updates in the voice recorder app. If they seem worth completing, I’ll start up a demo in Logic which will be the bare bones for the production. I don’t really have any specific habits or rituals, it’s always a process and new ideas for a song can come to me at any point in the day. On too many occasions I’ve had to jump out of bed when I’m falling asleep because I have a new idea to record.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
There’s a band called Carissa’s Wierd from the late 90s and early 2000s that I only recently discovered, and they’re amazing. I’ve listened to their album Songs About Leaving on repeat quite a bit in the past few months. It’s very emotional music but also very calming. I love both of the vocalists and the chords they choose. Highly recommended.
I’ve also been listening to the latest SOFT PLAY album HEAVIER JELLY quite a bit. It has loads of energy and attitude, and the songwriting is engaging and smart. The song “Punk’s Dead” really drew me in with how sardonic it was.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I think opening for The Cure would be pretty amazing. Robert Smith and the Cure have had a huge impact on the aesthetic of my own music and art, and it would be such an honor to be a part of their lineup. I was just listening to The Head on the Door the other day, and I just love what Robert and co were able to put together. The blend of guitar tones and synths, which the band to this day builds upon, is so signature and aesthetic. Smith’s melodies and vocals are endlessly entertaining as well. “In Between Days” is one of my favourite songs, and there are loads of other great songs on that album too. I have a lot of friends who adore and appreciate the Cure as well, and I think it would be incredible to be a part of the Cure’s world for a minute.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Definitely the most rewarding part about being a musician is when I feel like I’ve connected with a person through my music. That’s really what it’s always been about. I want to create songs that speak to people. Songs that give people a source of empathy when no one or nothing else really is doing that. Music has that ability. I’m grateful anytime someone lets me know that they enjoy a song or a song means something to them.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Right now, the most frustrating part about being a musician is just not having enough time and resources to bring all my ideas to fruition. As a creative, I have so many song ideas, video ideas, and event ideas that I wish I could fully manifest and give to people. But, I can only do what I can with the time and energy I have.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Dan Konopka from OK Go has mixed songs for me in the past, and after my first album dropped in a different project of mine, I remember he really just stressed the importance of continuing on; continue to put out new music, continue to play shows, just continue all things music, basically. It’s an important mindset to have. When you put so much of yourself in a single EP, or even song, it can seem difficult to have to try to beat that and level up with the next project, but you start to really just enjoy all parts of the process when you find a way to persist for the music.
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Jei-Rynn's new EP 'gas mask baby' is out now. Check it out in the player below.