By Sonia Schnee | Posted Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Last night, Saddle River singer-songwriter Jake Benjamin celebrated the release of his newest single, “4 Hours”, with a show at Rockwood Music Hall in New York. Earlier this year, he also released another new song, "Bound to You.” The two are part of a what will become a “loop pedal trilogy.” You can catch Jake peforming live at Mercury Lounge on January 20 (click here for tickets). In the meantime, check out our interview, below, to learn about the inspiration behind his music.
What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?
My name is Jake Benjamin, and I am an independent singer-songwriter from Saddle River, NJ. I am currently stationed in Manhattan.
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound as a blend of indie-pop with jazz tendencies.
Who are your musical influences?
My writing has been influenced by artists across many different genres like Damien Rice, Becca Stevens, Björk, Imogen Heap, Mat Kearney, and Bon Iver. I love listening to so many different songwriters who have extremely different approaches to writing and producing their own music.
Congratulations on the success of your single, “Bound to You.” What was the inspiration behind this song?
Thank you so much! "Bound to You" started off as a composition assignment I had toward the end of grad school. Since I had been performing with a vocal loop pedal, my instructor had asked me to compose a loop pedal tune for a class demonstration. After the class demonstration had gone by, I had this wordless composition. Towards the end of my Master's degree, I had a date with this girl one night and after I had gotten home, I started to think about what it would be like to find someone I really found a connection with. I decided to write a stream of consciousness and by 3AM, I had turned the words in my mind into the lyrics of “Bound to You.”
Photography by JMBOESPHOTO.
Tell us a bit about your creative process. Which comes first for you, the melody or the lyrics?
It's kind of a toss up regarding which comes first. It just depends on when I have a concept presented because sometimes it'll be a motif or a type of groove and other times it'll be a lyrical hook.
Is there anyone who you actively collaborate with, or would like to collaborate with in the future?
Well, for “Bound to You” and the next two singles, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my college friends Gabe Berenbaum and Russell Pollack on producing these loop pedal compositions. This is one of the reasons why I love being in NYC, there are so many talented artists that are so open to collaboration. I don't have a single musician I work with all the time, but I do have a few colleagues I love to jam and bounce ideas off of to try and make some new songs happen.
Listen on Spotify.
You just had a new single drop on December 6th, "4 Hours." What can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
“4 Hours” is the second song of this loop pedal trilogy. It's a song with melancholic and dark themes that came from a very vulnerable time in my life. It really serves as the emotional foil to “Bound to You” where the expectation in an incredible moment with someone turns into obsession. It's a rather difficult moment for me to relive when I play this live because this song is tethered to a connection that happened a year ago in a snowstorm.
What has you personal journey been like so far? How’d you get to this point?
It's been a whirlwind to be honest, which is a mix of the good and the rough times. I'm proud of myself for having the guts to keep moving forward even when the gigs haven't been successful. I'm also extremely grateful to have met some of the most amazing people and musicians in New York City and have a network of the most supportive family and friends. I think the challenge for me is making sure that I am not a critic of myself. I tend to get in my head a lot when writing and performing and it does nothing but hinder the artistic process.
Photography by JMBOESPHOTO.
Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?
The only thing I can say is something that my professor told me when I first started gigging: if you feel like your voice should be heard, then nothing should stop you from pursuing a life of an artist.
Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online?
Yes! You can reach me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jakebenjmusic) and Instagram (@jakebenjmusic). I also have a website which is www.jakebenjaminmusic.com. My released music, "Bound to You" and my EP Finally Back Home are available for your ears on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and most major streaming and digital music platform.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you so much for the opportunity for this interview. I'm so glad to represent my New Jersey roots as an artist and I hope to make you all proud!