An Interview With JAKE ISAAC All About His Newest Single ‘Good’ and His Future Music Plans!

On October 16th, the acclaimed singer-songwriter Jake Isaac returned with new single ‘Good’, a collaboration with fellow British artist Tertia May. It is a warm ballad with a heartfelt message at its core and it sees the two musicians trade smoothly delivered verses amidst delicate guitar plucks and sparse piano chords. It follows stunning April EP Things I’ll Tell You Tomorrow, while more recently Jake linked up with Joshua Luke Smith, Bianca Rose and Guvna B on single ‘Brother’ and performed on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show.

Speaking about ‘Good’, Jake explains, “This song for me feels completely honest but a tad risky.” He continues, “I’ve never really leaned into my soul music roots like this before, but it feels like the right thing to do, now more than ever…Having Tertia on this one really made it feel special.”

With six EPs and one album under his belt, Jake has amassed over 60 million streams across his vast catalogue of music, working alongside the likes of Julia Stone, Cynthia Erivo, Duffy, Paloma Faith, Joan as Policewoman, Gabrielle and Shuggie Otis. If this wasn’t enough, he also played The Other Stage at Glastonbury and caught the attention of Sir Elton John.

Tertia May first emerged on the scene in 2018 with her soul-stirring debut EP ‘Kind of Purple’, pulling from hip-hop, jazz, soul and pop with a voice that demands attention. The following twelve months saw her grace stages from London’s iconic Jazz Cafe to the studios at Colors, with her performance last summer clocking up 1.8 million views.

Isaac plans to release a forthcoming album entitled “Honesty” in early 2021.

Connect With Jake Isaac Online Here:

Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Learn more about Jake Isaac in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! So how are you keeping busy and musical these days during the pandemic? How are you staying connected to your fans? Are you finding that social media is even more useful now?

I’ve been really just focusing in on my current project and finding creative ways to unpack and release these new songs ive made to my listeners. On top of that, now that I’ve finished making my album im actually in the middle of producing to other records for two incredible artists. In terms of staying connected, social media has defo been a massive help in terms of keeping my people up to speed with whats been going on but also interacting with them on various online live platforms etc.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be a musician? What do you think motivates you day in and day out? How has that drive changed since you first starting writing songs?

I can’t actually recall that moment lol! Honestly i feel like i kinda feel into what im doing and just kept going lol. What motivates me a lot on a daily basis when it comes to creating, is a big desire to move people and to be moved by what I create. Im a big believer that art is not just for the benefit of the artist but is meant for sharing. I think the drive I have for what i do has definitely increased since i first started writing songs.

How do you think your hometown has influenced the kind of music that you make? If not, why is that?

London has to be one of the greatest cities in the world! its definitely impacted the type of music I make. London is such a melting pot of cultures and diversity that you cant but help let it rub off on you. I was exposed to some incredible music from all over the world growing up, but London was always the loudest when it came to my art.

Growing up, how important was music in your life? Was your family and friends always supportive of this career choice? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing?

Because i was a late bloomer when it came to being a singer songwriter at first some of my mates were unsure, mainly cause they didn’t know if I could sing or not lol. After the initial surprise of it all, family and friends have been super supportive.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all? Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell your younger self about this industry?

The biggest surprise for me to this day is the fact that people actually listen to my music and even tell the mates about it lol. In my mind im still a drummer blagging this lol. I think one thing id tell my younger self is, never try to make music because its popular, rather stick to making music because you love it.

Let’s talk about your forthcoming album, “Honesty” coming out early next year. What was it like making this collection? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? How did you go about choosing all of the artists to be featured on it? 

I’m proper excited to share this body of work. I wrote and produced the album from home when the UK first went in to lock down in march. I took my time and really enjoyed the process of creating. In a weird way there was a bit of a real sense of satisfaction not knowing when id be able to gig these songs again, so i really wanted to enjoy the moment creating them. The features came about so orginically…ive never been one to have a ton of features with my music. The majority of them on this record are either mates from before i made the album or weve become mates since.

How did your single “Good” come together? What was the inspiration for this track? How would you say that this song prepares listeners for the rest of your soon-to-be-released album?

Good was one of the first songs i wrote when lockdown first started here in the UK. It came quite easy to me because I was writing from my truth of often feeling a sense of imposter syndrome when it comes to relationships… like I don’t deserve to be loved. I think its cause im so aware of my faults and flaws this song was a summary of that, only being ‘good’ when im with you. Im hoping this song prepares listeners for more honesty when it comes to the rest of the album.

While it’s difficult, can you pick out a few other songs on “Honesty”? What was it like writing them and where did the inspiration for them come from exactly?

I feel like the inspiration for all the songs on this album came from the exact same place of wanting to communicate and articulate myself emotionally but knowing that if a ever had to have an actual conversation about some of these themes, id be rubbish at it lol.

Do you have plans to make any music videos for the songs on this new album? If you have already, what was that experience like?

There have and will defo been some music videos for this album…the experience so far has been tricky due to various restrictions etc. but at the same time its kinda like the pressure has caused me and my team to really get creative and push a bit harder in getting bits together on screen.

How do you think you and your music has grown over the years and since you first started writing music? What has remained the same?

I think I’ve become more comfortable in my own skin when it comes to music as I’ve had time to figure out what works lyrically for me and delivery wise on stage and everything in between. I feel like I’m not putting pressure on myself to prove something any more…rather I’m just enjoying creating and sharing my art.

What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future? Who has consistently been inspiring you and the music that you make?

I’d love to work with Paul Simon… even if it was just writing a song with him. One of the albums I grew up on was his Graceland album.

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

I really hope that people walk away with a bit of courage to be honest in their own situations.