Jarrod Jeremiah just dropped one of the lushest songs of the year! His latest single DROP MY JOB! is dreamy, catchy and grooves from start to finish. Hazy Days Music would like to thank Jarrod for taking the time out and having a chat.

 You have been releasing so many great songs over the last couple of years. Could you tell us a little about how you got into music and starting this project?

I've always been into making music. I started playing the drums from a really young age and learned the piano during school. In high school, I started writing music whenever I could, in between classes and exams, any chance I got. Over the last two/three years, I have been releasing my own music. I started off just making beats; I never planned on singing; no one else was really interested, so I just did it, and I feel like my vocals have come a long way over the journey. 

Right now, I’m studying percussion, spending a lot of time exploring rhythms and cool sounds. I feel like interesting rhythms, and jazz chords are big influences for my sound and have always drawn me in. I think that's why in my music, I always add in cool rhythms and jazz chords.

Latest single DROP MY JOB! is so catchy and I love the direction your sound is going in. How was writing and recording this one?

DROP MY JOB! is the first song that feels like I'm going in the right direction with my sound. I'm proud of all of my music but DROP MY JOB! feels more uniquely me. It has all the elements I love. It's got a banging beat and jazzy textures; it's a real anthem.

I wrote DROP MY JOB! around the start of this year. I created this simple shuffle beat on the drums, recorded it onto Ableton, cut it up a bit and turned that into the core beat of the song.

I tend to write the chorus first. Writing a good catchy chorus and bridge is my thing, and I feel like when I have a strong chorus, that sets me up for the rest of the song. I usually leave writing the verses to the very end. I find writing the second verse is always the hardest for me, and it's something I'm trying to improve.   

Before releasing this one, I played it at a gig. My mates who accompanied me are real jazzy, funky musicians, and they played it with more of a funk and groove than my recording. I realised that I needed to change up the rhythm of the piano and synths and make them more groovy. 

It has been a real journey making this one. 

DROP MY JOB! is the largest channelled song I’ve ever made. I hit nearly 200 channels. I think it was 120 for instruments and like 80 for vocals. My computer was literally dying on me every single day.

That's insane having that many channels to deal with. How was mixing all of that together?

I knew I wanted to make it sound cohesive rather than layered all on top of each other. It was hard mixing it all in, I'm not the most experienced mixer/engineer, and I'm always looking for tips on YouTube. I felt like I was really aware of what was going on with the song; I didn't want it to sound like it had too many things going on.

Do you have an EP or album in the works?

I do want to release an EP sometime soon. But at the moment, I find releasing singles is good for me. I feel like for an EP, you have to have something to say, and right now, I only have small things to say.

I'd love to build a team around me. I'm really into that creative side, make music videos, short films, whatever it is, I'll figure out how to make it happen. I'm still finding the sound that I’m wanting to make right now. Also, I'd have to write a lot more music than I currently am, haha.

What new influences are inspiring you and pushing you to find this new sound?

Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of lofi beats. Like the study beats playlists on Spotify, everyone put on. Jazztronica has also been a big influence. Honestly, I've been trying to remake that and have that influence my sound. It's tough. 

I’ve also been listening to some really awesome people like Jacob Collier and Tom Misch. One huge influence for me is Anderson .Paak. He is such a crazy drummer! I never realised how talented he is. I’ve been a massive fan of him for a while but never really watched any of his live performances. He is a wild drummer! I thought he’d be like most of those singers that jump on the drum kit for a bit of fun and show off. But he is crazy! He has such a sick groove.

Your TikTok has an unreal following. How do you find using this platform? Do you think that it leads them to your other platforms?

So last year, I joined TikTok and gained over 50 thousand followers in two months and haven't done much since then. 

Last year I was completely focused on numbers, numbers, numbers, and sure, numbers are good, but that doesn't always lead to real engagement and real fans. TikTok is a cool platform, and I have had those moments where one of your videos goes viral. It's crazy! You get people DMing you 24 hours a day. Just nuts! 

That's the thing; it's not super sustainable trying to get that 1 second of virality where your video gets hundreds of thousands of views or even millions. How many of them would actually buy a ticket to your show at the end of the day? I just post whatever I want on it these days. I used to be really professional with all the content I uploaded. The whole process used to take up all of my days making three or four videos, and that's why I wasn't making as much music last year. I’m not sure if other artists have been more successful with gaining fans off it that way.

TikTok is a great platform, and I do have fun with it. But these days, I feel so much better making more music and putting TikTok to the side.

Can we catch you playing shows anytime soon?

I don’t have too many planned at the moment. I'm just starting to get into the Perth gigging scene. I turned 18 last year and am really excited to start gigging more. I've been thinking about putting on a backyard gig to get back into it. I’ve played a few shows; I just need to start doing it more regularly. That's the best way to make new fans and hang out with people that enjoy my music.

Stay up to date with Jarrod Jeremiah on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Posted on the 5th of August, by Jake Taylor.