Originally Posted on Aug.15th, 2023
Today I’m going to tell you about an amazing up and coming band Jaq Jaq!
Lineup: Kevin Bessey and Harley Swisher are the only two members of Jaq Jaq, but they often invite other musicians to help them both in the studio and on stage.
Here’s their story in their own words:
The creative process in the studio, working on their album “Bird’s Aren’t Real”:
“We started every song on this album with the thought, “how can we best convince our listener that the government has gotten rid of birds and replaced them with spying drones?” We’re constantly collecting little Melodies that pop out of our brains. We take the melody and develop it into a song. We juice that melody for everything it’s worth. And, we make sure that that juice tastes like the truth. What is the truth? Birds aren’t real.”
I absolutely love this whole album, but my two favorite standouts are “Kerosene” and “Losing Control”. Here’s the story behind those songs:
“Kerosene”:
“Musically, we both really like baroque pop. It’s not easy to make baroque pop without lots of money and a big label supporting. We’ve been blessed with the help of so many friends who were willing to contribute to make it such a great song. Lyrically, as with all songs on this album, we want to make sure that people know that birds aren’t real. So, we drew on our deepest most poetic romantic experiences to explain how the lies of birds can captivate us.”
“Losing Control”:
“Musically, we’d gotten together for a session with other musicians who had to cancel last minute. We didn’t have all of our equipment. So, we started writing on what we had, a ukulele, an acoustic guitar and some shakers. The weird setting and limitations helped us express our music in an entirely unique way.”
“Kerosene” on Spotify:
“Losing Control” on Spotify:
The experience they want people to have at their live shows:
“Our shows are meant to be a party for everyone kind enough to attend, hosted by us. We want people to dance, sing and have the best time of their life. Often we have protestors show up. And, we want them to feel just as welcome as everyone else. So, there’s kind of this balancing act, we want the excitement. But, we also don’t want any fights to break out. Our goal is to uplift and inspire, prove the haters wrong. Also, we want to expose the lies of various organizations who claim that birds are real. Our message is simple, birds aren’t real.”
What I absolutely love about this band is that not only are they wonderful musicians, but you cannot fit them into any specific genre. They take you on this incredibly weird beautiful journey that makes me want to listen to this album over and over.
I think this album is the perfect summertime road trip music to listen to in your car and just get lost in the music. Not many artists I can do that with, but I truly had just an amazing time getting sucked into Jaq Jaq’s world from start to finish.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds, but I just know the journey is gonna be amazing. And that’s why they are my VMS Artist of the Week!
I definitely encourage you to check out their album “Bird’s Aren’t Real” on their website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jaqjaq/birds-arent-real?fbclid=PAAaaidFlm_fPB3XgG3JAUs__zYqTcCx9eUvR7vrxyAEmj7zOTXPsQq27vTWc
Also,they have a show on August 25 (2023), It’s a charity event for girls’ music education at Soul Belly if you would like to support! Please check the Soul Belly website for more details: https://soulbellybbq.com/
——Vegas Music Scene