Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Jake Thistle
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
When I was three years old, my parents let me stay awake to watch the SuperBowl, thinking I’d get into sports. That year, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played the halftime show, and I can, to this day, remember being totally mesmerized by the band and the music, which is where my love of it all began.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I was nine years old when I began playing guitar, and I quickly realized how much I enjoyed both writing songs and interpreting other artists. I played my first show roughly six months after and knew immediately it was something I wanted to continue.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I have a new record coming out in the fall! Super excited about it. I recorded it all over, a few songs in NJ, a few in Boston, a few in LA, and a couple in London, and am so excited for everyone to hear. It’s my first full length release on my label, Gold’n Retriever, so I’m thrilled to be moving forward with it.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I always strive to have a bit of a ‘modern-retro’ sound. I’m a huge fan of Springsteen and Tom Petty (and a lot of the songwriting giants from that era), and really appreciate the combination of those influences with some modern sensibilities. I’ve been particularly inspired by Sam Fender and The War On Drugs for their ability to bring those two worlds together.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? One of the most important developments in my songwriting and recording process was
growing my understanding of using a DAW. I specifically use Logic, and it’s really opened up my songwriting due to the flexibility and freedom of the demos I can make and the sounds I can strive for. And still, I haven’t even scratched the surface on what it can do.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process? The tools I can’t live without, in no particular order, are my Martin CEO-7 and my 1952
Gibson LG-1, where essentially all my songs have been written on, as well as my Logic software, and an 88-key piano that can function as a MIDI controller. At this point, most of what I need can be accomplished with some combination of those things as well as a
microphone and an electric guitar. For live shows, I use a Helix Stadium XL, typically directly into the PA.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Last year I toured with a band called Fantastic Cat, and I’ve always loved their sound. They’re an incredible band, but the four piece are also entirely remarkable songwriters on their own, Don DiLego, Anthony Damato, Mike Montali, and Brian Dunne.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? I consider myself a songwriter before anything else, so the music I put out I typically
think of as made up almost entirely of my personal world view and experiences. I grew up in New Jersey, and I’m really grateful for the upbringing I had in that area, around so many diverse locations, people, world views, and life paths.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work? Honestly, I just hope listeners take something away from my work. I understand that
one’s interpretation of a piece of music falls on their own life experience, so I just aim to make songs that they can feel and interpret how they choose, and I hope it keeps them coming back for more.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
My life has been so centered around music for as long as I can remember that it’s quite difficult for me to separate the lessons I’ve learned from music or just from life. If it weren’t for music, I would certainly be a completely unrecognizable person.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Growing up in the New York City metro area, I’ll always have to say the legendary Madison Square Garden, which would be a dream.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? I think I’ll have to go with Tom Petty. He’s the artist who got me into music, so it would
have been very full circle for me to have collaborated, but also I think I would learn a ton from his craft and process, because to me his writing is so focused on what he chooses to say, and can relay his message in such few words. In addition, in my general rotation
of top 5 songwriters who have influenced me, he’s the only one I never had the opportunity to either meet or play with, so that would have been a cool thing to collaborate and complete that list, which I can’t do in the real world.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links) Jakethistle.com
instagram.com/jakethistlemusic
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I hope to just continue what I’ve been doing. I love to tour and I really love to produce and work in the studio, so I just hope I can continue that as long as I can, and hopefully on a much larger scale one day.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way? I’d love for them to be along for the ride. I’m really hoping and striving for consistency
and longevity in my career, so I hope we can all grow together.
