Just Porch Big Jake Again Today

Hello, everyone! Give thanks y'all for finding some fourth dimension amidst your surely busy schedule to spend a few minutes on our site. Nosotros have been promising a resurgence of artist interviews for the last several weeks, and today nosotros are thrilled to brainstorm a new series of musician and characterization-focused pieces that we will continue to share throughout the calendar month of Dec. The artist featured in today'south postal service besides has a new EP out this week, and so if yous enjoy what you read please consider supporting his work when time and money allows.

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Making it in music today is hard for only about anyone who isn't connected to an already established celebrity through claret or sexual encounters. Nosotros could debate all day about who faces the most challenges when it comes to breaking through from the hugger-mugger to the mainstream, but I've ever thought the singer/songwriter genre was one of the more hard areas of music to conquer. Non only is the market incredibly diverse in terms of age and interests, only the number of people with guitars and lackluster original songs far outnumber the competition in every other realm of the music industry. In guild to stand up out yous take to possess something special that I'thou honestly not certain I can describe at nifty length. It'southward non a physical trait in whatever way, simply rather a feeling or series of feelings that you are able to convey through your music. Information technology'southward not about just making a connectedness, merely rather tapping into something deeper than hooks and melodies volition ever reach. You lot accept to find a way to put yourself out at that place, as honestly equally possible, and hope others relate to what you lot have to say. Then, and simply and then, will you begin to find success.

Jake Mcelfresh might not agree with everything I said above, but he's certainly a great example of someone who creates music for all of the right reasons and expects nix from the world in return. Known to many asForepart Porch Footstep, Jake writes and sings songs he wants to hear, and in doing then has found a sense of confidence in his work rarely seen in the modern culling music industry. He believes in his work and therefore cannot be dismayed by those who experience differently. Not every vocal is going to exist liked by every person and that's just fine. As long every bit Jake loves his work he is happy, and fortunately for him there are tens of thousands of people around the globe who love it every bit well.

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Jake about his career, his new EP, and the struggles of existence a vocaliser/songwriter in 2014. Y'all tin can read about all of this and a whole lot more, below. If y'all like what you read, please brand it a point to follow FPS on Twitter. Boosted questions and comments can be left at the end of the page.

H: Thanks for joining us today, Jake. I live in Boston now, but I also am an Ohio native.

J: That'due south cool, man. Always good to talk to someone from here.

H: Definitely. It's kind of surprising how many people from Ohio are working in the industry today, and information technology seems everyone has a unique story nigh how they got here. I'yard sure the same applies to y'all. In that location were a number of years when you lot performed alive earlier changing yous name to Front Porch Step. Did you have some other stage name?

J: Just Jake. Well, Jake Mcelfresh. My name. There was a time when I was in a popular punk band around 17 or 18, only I've been playing under Jake Mcelfresh since I was 14 or fifteen. Since 2012 I've been Front end Porch Step.

H: What inspired the change?

J: Honestly, information technology was all about marketing. When you play the kind of shows I was playing, like open up mics and other events where people might not necessarily exist paying the closest attending, but still like what they hear, yous have to be able to tell them where they tin find your stuff online. Saying things like "Go bank check out Jake Mcelfresh online" caused trouble considering no ane can spell my last name. If you see information technology then y'all tin spell it, but if you just hear it you lot're going to have a really difficult time figuring it out.

Earlier you fifty-fifty ask, I'll tell y'all. I had realized I needed a name and was trying to figure out what to call myself when I came across a photo of me sitting on a front porch step. A friend of mine jokingly said I should call myself Front Porch Step, and I thought information technology was a skillful thought. And then yea, Front end Porch Step. (Laughs)

H: That's a pretty simple back story, merely I have to be honest and say I didn't expect anything besides epic.

J: Only it was and then much more than that when he told it to me. Front end Porch Step sounds like a music genre to me. Y'all accept two-pace, hip-hop, bluegrass, front porch step, etc. I experience like the front porch step, especially existence from Ohio, encapsulates this place where you lot can view the world exterior, the falling leaves and everything. I feel like that actually fits my music, and when he said it out loud something clicked.

H: I do want to talk about the new EP. It'south available now, and I really think it'south a stiff release. Christmas covers never do much for me, but you make "I'll Exist Home For Christmas" pretty slap-up. Can you tell united states a fleck about the inspiration for that record?

J: I choose to believe in God. I don't know if yous do and I actually don't give a shit. I'thousand not here to preach to you, and if you come to a Forepart Porch Step show I'm not going to try and convert yous. I desire people to find their own way. Atheists and other kids will come and inquire me virtually my faith sometimes, and I'll tell them I believe in God, but I endeavor not to talk over it at length. I just cull to believe in a higher power. The reason I say all this is because the Christmas song I chose to comprehend has nothing to do with God or religion. People say because it'south Christmas it's also Christian, simply that is not the case. Christmas is a time when people put shit aside and try to be kind to ane another. Kindness matters, and that's office of what makes Christmas and so important to me. I don't know about other people's families, but I'k blessed to have a family unit that gathers during the holiday and I cherish that. I've toured a lot more this year than ever earlier, and as a result I've been feeling pretty abode sick. I'm a momma'southward male child, human, and being away is hard. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" breaks me at present. It fucking breaks me. I miss my family so much, and information technology has given the song a new meaning to me. I'm very involved, with my nieces peculiarly, and now I'm not able to be equally involved as before. That wrecks me.

I'm lamentable if I go off on tangents past the mode. People always tell me I'm pretty long-winded.

H: No, that'south completely okay. We like long-winded on our site. Annihilation is better than responding with a unmarried sentence. That kind of thing drives me basics.

J: [Laughs] Yous won't have that problem with me. I'thou kind of a conceded asshole.

H: Non at all.

J: Thanks.

H: And then when did you lot consummate the EP?

J: It was all completed a couple of weeks later on Warped Tour. I flew into Massachusetts, non Boston, merely somewhere, and so I went to New Bailiwick of jersey. I did the Christmas song, "A Lovely Mess," and "Whole Over again" with Alana Day and Adam Ward. In New Jersey, Ace Enders co-wrote and produced "Heaven Sent."

H: It's funny that we just discussed how much time yous've been away, but this calendar month (December) you have a little time off. How is habitation?

J: Information technology's kind of weird, to be honest. Everything is and then spread out in December that I'g all the same all over the place, even though we're non touring constantly. I'g playing a few shows, but no total-fledged tour of any kind. I'm also announcing my start headline tour this month, and that is pretty exciting. Have Mercy will be straight support, with the revival of Alcoa following them. Information technology's full US and it's taking place in the jump.

Like I said though, other than that I have like v shows this month that take place all over the country.

H: Then you get overseas in January?

J: Yea, nosotros have a short run overseas at the beginning of the yr. After that we will caput right into the headlining tour.

H: Then information technology seems like a lot of your 2015 is already planned out. Do you hope to become back into the studio at some point also?

J: I desire to, merely I as well kind of accept to at this point. Non really, but information technology'southward funny. I was in theAlternative Press nearly-anticipated list for 2014. My publicist told me they wanted me, and I said okay, just he did not mention the 'new anthology' angle at first. I did the interview, which happened to be with the same guy who interview me for that magazine every time, and one of his offset questions was about when a record could be expected. I tried my best to act like I had a programme, but truth be told I don't really plan out that stuff. I didn't think I was going to release anything this year, just then I wrote and recorded an EP in a week. So we'll see most 2015, just annihilation is possible.

H: 2014 has really been your year. 2013 was big for y'all, but this year your name was everywhere. As a music writer, I know countless singer/songwriters who never become anywhere with their career, and still Front end Porch Pace has gotten a ton of attention.

J: I don't actually know how, to exist honest. Someone fromAltPress said somewhere that I managed to write a whole album of songs with just my guitar without creating a boring coffee shop record. Not saying that is how I experience, simply I think I empathize what they mean. I listen to the java shop channel on satellite radio sometimes, and I really but like one in every 10 or 15 songs. There are some people who tin do information technology really well, like Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz, but so many artists sound like they're trying to write pop hits without heart or emotion. They're gimmicky, merely they don't have the infectious nature needed to be a hit. "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson feels gimmicky at first, and to an extent information technology is, but when yous dig deeper it'southward a beautiful song about wanting to spend the day with someone you dear. A lot of artists endeavour to do that and information technology just doesn't work. Non judging them, it's just how I feel.

I experience similar I've made my career off not caring, though I didn't do information technology on purpose. I take a line almost putting my caput between someone's thighs until I can't feel my lips, for case. I never thought my mom would hear that, or especially my grandparents. I thought Pure Dissonance would put out the tape and that I may exist able to become a few more evidence that I would have to attain by Greyhound bus. I wrote these songs because I similar them, and actually I call up that is a better manner to get. If you lot do that, anyone else who enjoys it is only saccharide on meridian. If someone hates information technology, who cares? You didn't write it for them. You did it for you lot.

H: I think y'all're on the right rail. If y'all go in expecting to get something out of it yous're almost bound to be permit down.

J: Someone recently asked me what I desire to do with my career. I didn't know how to reply. More than shows, I judge? I tried to explain that I played 1 date of Warped Tour 2013 and thought I was in heaven. That was all I needed or wanted in life. When I got offered the total tour this yr, I couldn't even believe information technology.

I retrieve y'all take to stop setting goals at one point. I'thou doing so many amazing things at this indicate that request for more than would only feel greedy. I mean, I'chiliad going to Europe for free in January. Not to piece of work a shitty job either, but to perform music I wrote and get paid for it. I'm spoiled. Anyone who does this is spoiled. You're playing music for a living, and then you're not working at all. You lot're getting paid to play.

So I don't fix goals anymore. I'm so grateful for everything I have and I am always witting of the fact it could be taken away in a moment's detect, so right now I'one thousand trying to enjoy the experience.

H: Well I'g definitely excited to run into what happens next. You've washed so much already, but based on our conversation today information technology seems similar 2015 may be your biggest year yet.

J: You lot're not kidding. I just wrote with Jon Feldman and Joel Madden for a pop band. Similar, ugh…shit is getting weird. I'm trying to pay my dues in the world of writing. You can't only write a song for Adele and send it to her. They take to want to work with you, and the merely style to do that is to write material for smaller artists. I'm trying to become my foot into the door in that world so I can write for like John Legend or Taylor Swift. That's something I really want to practise. If a song blows upward at radio and it has my lyrics in it, that's really absurd for me, and I don't care what people think. We need popular music. The world needs pop music. If we all listened to Make New every day we would kill ourselves. I demand artists like v Seconds Of Summer to help me not experience similar a slice of shit who hates life.

H: I know you have another interview today, so I'll allow y'all go shortly. Before you go, practice you have any closing thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?

J: I'm all set man. Thank yous for everything. Have a wonderful holiday season. I'm sure we'll talk soon.

Front Porch Step'southward latest EP,Whole Again, is bachelor at present through Pure Noise Records. You lot can view a poster announcing his upcoming headlining bout beneath.

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Source: https://haulixdaily.com/2014/12/whole-again-front-porch-step-discusses-life

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