In this interview spotlight, I chat with Jake Inzerra about the latest release (No Lips) as well as challenges, motivation and the emotional rollercoaster ride brought on by the pandemic.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I was born and raised in a small town in Connecticut, and am now living the hustle dream in New York City! Unlike most of my friends, I decided to stay put and stick it out during this pandemic. And, for what it’s worth, I’m not surprised in the slightest by NYC’s perseverance. It’s the reason why people love this city: the land of the hustlers, as I call it. New Yorkers work together, look out for their neighbors, and survive. (Sorry. Just had to toss that in there for those who think New York is dead. Nah, she’s just under the weather is all.) As a singer and up-and-coming artist, I write and produce pop music people can dance to. Music that makes us feel strong, even at our weakest. I would describe my style as free spirited and all attitude. I draw inspiration from conversations I have with my friends about how we’re gonna rise above our haters and take on the world!
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Since Preschool, I always fantasized about performing onstage. I would write little songs and even climb on top of the coloring table and sing for my classmates. I was one of those ‘out there’ kids. You can imagine how charming it must have been to watch a 4 year old sing Britney Spears and Disney show tunes without any fear of being judged. Once I got to middle school, however, I became a victim of homophobic bullying. Being gay in a small town was everything you could imagine, and then some. The only thing that allowed me to escape the pain was going on long walks and listening to my favorite artists. It was their music, their lyrics, their stories that pulled me through the toughest parts of my childhood. They were my idols on the other side of that pain, and I knew that if they could get there, so could I. During high school, I became involved in the theatre community, performing in local productions. It was here where I finally found acceptance within the community and within myself. Before I could realize how insane my dreams were, I was taking the Metro-North train into the city 5 days a week to study dance and go job hunting. And I’ve been hustling in the greatest city on Earth ever since! My goal is, and always will be, to create music that speaks to people the same way music spoke to me growing up. Music is a powerful force, and all of us, singers, musicians, composers . . . we’re all trying to harness that force to change the world.
What is the story behind your newest release?
It was the class and sass of one of my friends actually. Apparently, somebody tried to come for him on instagram and he responded by posting a story where he said, “You ain’t got no lips to talk to me. Have a good day, sir.” I immediately told him that that had to be a song! The intro and outro are even the original insta story audio he had posted. I spent nearly a year revisiting that lyric I had written down in my phone, creating several different songs using that line, before finally landing on something. The final arrangement I chose is simple and infectious. Probably the most unapologetic song I have ever written.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I decided to have more fun creating this record. The raw thrill of my previous releases were naturally diluted due to my high expectations and heavy marketing. For ‘No Lips,’ I decided to not have any expectations, and just let the song stay pure and fun. Of course, I have been promoting it, and am always trying to figure out new and creative ways to market my music (like making fun videos on TikTok using the song – @jakeinzerra). But for this release, I won’t expect a certain level of success (streams, shares, reposts). If a song is a hit, it’s a hit whether people discover it or sleep on it. People slept on Lizzo’s ‘Truth Hurts’ for nearly two years before it reached number one on Billboard. What matters is that I take time every now and again to remember the thrill in releasing a piece of work out into the world. Because once that song or album or video is released, it doesn’t belong to me anymore.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
A lot of people think anyone can go viral and be an overnight sensation these days. Wrong. Technology does NOT make it easier to be discovered or even become famous. It just makes it ***simpler. So rather than pounding on doors and going from club to club with your mixtape, you’re pounding on the doors of social media, music bloggers, playlist curators . . . the hustle is still there and it’s probably MORE competitive now than it was just 15 years ago. Artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj were among the last artists to emerge the old fashioned way. Now there is a platform for unsigned talent to go just as big as the talent of the top dog record labels. An artist like myself wouldn’t have had a chance just one generation ago. Now, indie singers and producers are being seen at the Grammys nearly every season. It’s really an incredible time for unsigned hustlers.
What was the last song you listened to?
I just listened to amazing song called ‘Freedom’ by a fellow independent, Tshadez. We both did the same community theatre in CT. As a former choir member in high school, I appreciate some good harmonies!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I’ve never owned a Vinyl but the vintage-ness of it seems really cool! CDs are kinda like the flip phones of music now. Being that we’re in the digital age, I guess MP3s are the most accessible for me. How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why? While I love Spotify as a platform for unknown artists to be discovered, it has one drawback for me: the follower, play count. It’s like a social media for music, which means that people are more likely to judge an artist based on how many monthly listeners they have or what playlists they have been featured on. It’s a popularity contest, which I get. The music industry is one giant popularity contest. I appreciate platforms, like Apple Music, that don’t advertise how many streams an artist has. You get to just discover an artist with zero expectations and judge theme solely on their craft.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
I am most active on Instagram and TikTok. @jakeinzerra. That’s where I’ll post about a new project first. After that would definitely be Spotify. Following me on there helps a lot with pushing my songs out into the platform!
Anything else before we sign off?
I really appreciate people like you who pay attention to the underground scene and give artists like me a voice. Had I not had a home studio(which is how I recorded the vocals on ‘No Lips,’ nothing fancy), or access to a pro beat maker like Logic right on my computer, I wouldn’t know how to survive this pandemic. Unfortunately most of the performing arts have been frozen in time since March. Performing at open mic nights and attending industry events are not options right now. That being said, the fact that I can create and release music right from my studio apartment is a privilege I can’t fully grasp. I’ve gone through a rollercoaster of emotions during lockdown, like the rest of us, but I’ve also taken this time to appreciate what I have accomplished against the odds and what I CAN do from here on out.
