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5Q: Jake Klar
It gives us great honor to work with really talented musicians like Jake Klar. The CT-native is very much symbolic of what folk music is in the industry: perpetually tapping into an older time in a timeless style of music. Bob Dylan clone? Might be too early to tell, but this kid has some serious talent waiting to be discovered.
FREE DOWNLOAD: “Let’s Dance” by Jake Klar
You’re so young, but your voice has such an old soul. Explain.
I remember being a kid and hearing one of my mothers friends talk about the native American philosophy of souls getting recycled.. I always liked that idea.. that a soul could be used for thousands of years then ends up being born today in the body of some child at the hospital. I guess you can say something like that happened with my voice… What I really think it comes from is just what I’ve always been influenced by, old folk, blues and jazz musicians, music and life styles prior to the 1950’s early 60’s, archaic songs of love, loss and life. I’ve always felt older than my birth certificate age… Really I have no idea though, when I sing I just put all my heart into it, cause that’s real singing, the shouting of emotion, I don’t care much if someone just has a nice voice and hits every note, what turns me on to a musician is the genuine and raw sound. Real singing by real people.
How does a musician develop a voice? Do you have to try and go for a certain sound?
It depends, I’m sure there are musicians out there who try hard to make an image and sound. The way it’s happened for me so far has just been a natural process of influence and immulation. I just try to make the kind of sound I want to hear. Someways I’ll listen to a Hank Williams record then play pop county songs, or I’ll listen to lightin Hopkins and do the same thing. Your voice is developed by whatever you find meaningful, for me that could be reading faulkner, listening to bruce springstein, traveling or meeting new people. I try to live up to the artists that I think are great and be able to play and write songs as well as them.
Which folk hero do you get compared to most?
Bob Dylan. Recently it’s switched over to the Tallest Man on Earth (….I don’t know if he’s considered a folk hero yet though)
Your brother Maxx has been really been pushing hard for you. Is he your biggest fan?
I owe so much to a lot of people, especially my brother, he’s really been a huge part of making this EP happen. Maybe hes not my biggest fan but he’s certainly the most supportive fan.
Given the recent success of folk with Edward Sharpe, Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men, why is folk suddenly hot again, do you think?
“Folk” music has always gone in and out of commercial success and being widely popular, I think that says something about its timelessness… folk music will never disappear until human kind disappears. It is interesting what turns the masses towards liking americana style music again, i like to think that after awhile people just need to hear something real and genuine. In the thirties there was the depression and hardship, people were looking for something to not only to lose themselves in but also to speak to them and for them, in the 60’s revival America had just come out of the bland, cookie cutter 50’s and kids were looking for something powerful, everybody wanted art to “say something”, today’s revival I don’t know, all I can say is I’m happy this kind of music is popular again, I believe in it and believe it can help the world and the people in it.

23rd April 2012

It gives us great honor to work with really talented musicians like Jake Klar. The CT-native is very much symbolic of what folk music is in the industry: perpetually tapping into an older time in a timeless style of music. Bob Dylan clone? Might be too early to tell, but this kid has some serious talent waiting to be discovered.

FREE DOWNLOAD: “Let’s Dance” by Jake Klar

You’re so young, but your voice has such an old soul. Explain.

I remember being a kid and hearing one of my mothers friends talk about the native American philosophy of souls getting recycled.. I always liked that idea.. that a soul could be used for thousands of years then ends up being born today in the body of some child at the hospital. I guess you can say something like that happened with my voice… What I really think it comes from is just what I’ve always been influenced by, old folk, blues and jazz musicians, music and life styles prior to the 1950’s early 60’s, archaic songs of love, loss and life. I’ve always felt older than my birth certificate age… Really I have no idea though, when I sing I just put all my heart into it, cause that’s real singing, the shouting of emotion, I don’t care much if someone just has a nice voice and hits every note, what turns me on to a musician is the genuine and raw sound. Real singing by real people.

How does a musician develop a voice? Do you have to try and go for a certain sound?

It depends, I’m sure there are musicians out there who try hard to make an image and sound. The way it’s happened for me so far has just been a natural process of influence and immulation. I just try to make the kind of sound I want to hear. Someways I’ll listen to a Hank Williams record then play pop county songs, or I’ll listen to lightin Hopkins and do the same thing. Your voice is developed by whatever you find meaningful, for me that could be reading faulkner, listening to bruce springstein, traveling or meeting new people. I try to live up to the artists that I think are great and be able to play and write songs as well as them.

Which folk hero do you get compared to most?

Bob Dylan. Recently it’s switched over to the Tallest Man on Earth (….I don’t know if he’s considered a folk hero yet though)

Your brother Maxx has been really been pushing hard for you. Is he your biggest fan?

I owe so much to a lot of people, especially my brother, he’s really been a huge part of making this EP happen. Maybe hes not my biggest fan but he’s certainly the most supportive fan.

Given the recent success of folk with Edward Sharpe, Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men, why is folk suddenly hot again, do you think?

“Folk” music has always gone in and out of commercial success and being widely popular, I think that says something about its timelessness… folk music will never disappear until human kind disappears. It is interesting what turns the masses towards liking americana style music again, i like to think that after awhile people just need to hear something real and genuine. In the thirties there was the depression and hardship, people were looking for something to not only to lose themselves in but also to speak to them and for them, in the 60’s revival America had just come out of the bland, cookie cutter 50’s and kids were looking for something powerful, everybody wanted art to “say something”, today’s revival I don’t know, all I can say is I’m happy this kind of music is popular again, I believe in it and believe it can help the world and the people in it.

13th June 2013

15th August 2012

30th May 2012

11th May 2012

23rd April 2012

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