Catch Jake Minch on an off-day and you might find his shaggy brown hair draped over his face as he hunches over a weathered sketchbook—one he’s carried since his teen years, as you’ll learn soon enough. But catch him on a superstar day—guitar in hand, analogies swirling like a paperback fever dream—and you’ll see him in his element. From the punchy grit of ‘handgun’ to the aching poetry of ‘Drawing a Tattoo,’ Jake is a rising force to watch.
With his debut album, George, dropping on July 11, we spoke to Jake about the metaphors scribbled in the margins of his lyrics, working with sonic legends like Tony Berg, and so much more.
‘handgun’
You burst onto the music scene guns blazing—literally—with your original track ‘handgun.’ So when artists like Noah Kahan not only vibed with your sound but also gave a nod to your lyrics, it must’ve felt like a double win. Can you rewind the tape and take us back to that moment three years ago?
On Valentine’s Day of 2022, I posted a video of me playing a song called ‘I’d Pick Up Flowers’ that I’d written 30 minutes prior as a signal flare to a crush. I spent a lot of time spectating the modest, not-yet-gentrified songwriter community on TikTok back in the day, so when that video did well, most of “my idols” followed me. Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine, Leith Ross, and so many others were already on the ground with me by the time that the ‘handgun’ video did well. I am grateful for their support on that release.
One of the coolest things about ‘handgun’—besides the lyrics—is the atmosphere you create with those candid soundbites. We hear you settling in with your guitar at the start, and that laughter at the end, like we’re eavesdropping on the studio session. How important are those zoomed-out, behind-the-scenes touches in your creative process?
I fell in love with music pretty late in life. Besides theatre productions in high school and a YouTuber music phase, I spent the latter half of my teens exclusively listening to the most demo-y sounding songs on albums (‘Be My Mistake’ by The 1975, ‘Blindsided’ by Bon Iver, ‘Nothing More Than That’ by the Paper Kites) — songs with no drums. My dream was to record it on a Tascam table mic by myself in my room, but it just wasn’t in the cards. My A&R, Danny, grew up with Jeremy Zucker, so he pulled the strings to make the collab happen, and I sat in his studio and let him teach me things as we worked.
‘Fingers and Clothes’
The opening line of ‘Fingers and Clothes’ has this hypnotic, looping rhythm. What was it about that lyric and rhythm that hooked you instantly and made you feel others would be pulled in too?
I was living with a significant other at the time, and it came to me while folding laundry. Usually, I lose song ideas, but it hung out in my head for like three days, and I wrote it paperless.
We love the metaphor you’ve created in this track—the way the lingering smell of smoke mirrors how feelings for someone else can resurface, even when you’re in a relationship. And then that closing lyric ties it all together, with smoking becoming a trigger for that crush. It’s almost like the subconscious is steering the ship while we’re consciously trying to keep it together. How have you learned to detach from that kind of emotional residue—the smell, the memory, the pull?
Thank you, and this is a really good question. There have been a couple things: first, meeting Tony Berg and having a solid-bodied adult figure consistently in my life was incredibly formative. He planted seeds that, even now, I am learning about as they sprout. Second, writing an album that was uncomfortably honest was really nice because now, I am proud that I was able to capture those two years that well, but I am humbled with the acknowledgement that I will soon be announcing my failures in this medium. Third, I’ve learned to sleep with the door open and accept gestures and switch my “sorrys” for “thank yous”. For the first time, I have given up on the “troubled”-thing.
This track was produced by Tony Berg, best known for his work with Phoebe Bridgers—but fun fact, he also lent his vocal production magic to Taylor Swift’s ‘Nothing New.’ How do you think Tony helped your lyrics shine and bring out their full, haunting sparkle?
When I ask Tony how he does technical stuff, he goes: “If I told you that, I’d have to kill you”. Will McClellan is also a legendary engineer.
‘Drawing a Tattoo’
We were really struck by the lightbulb metaphor in verse six of ‘Drawing a Tattoo’ — it beautifully captures that invisible line between confidence and foolishness. What were you hoping to express through that image?
It was so hard to leave home. Like, even as I’m writing this, I feel my longing in my chest thinking about my emotionally taxidermied friends from home. Last night I was with a friend who is 20 and we wanted to go to a bar but she can’t, and she was like “I can’t wait to be 21” and another friend was like “yeah but once you’re 21 you can never not be 21” and that made me laugh. That’s what I wanted the song to be about — two friends separating and then individually attempting to bridge the gap.
The whole song captures a kind of quiet heartache around growing up — something we’re excited to hear explored further in George. One line that really stood out to us is: “And I like to think that we’re at the same speed” — it seems to reflect the myth of linear growth. What are your thoughts on that idea?
“The myth of linear growth” is exactly it. One of my favorite new analogies is about “keeping my wheels greased” in order to keep things in motion and stay clean. To give an image to the idea, growing up with someone and sharing all your firsts is like riding parallel bikes.
Drawing clearly plays a huge role in your creative life — from your sketchbook tour on TikTok, to your merch, to the interactive “draw here” section on your website. How did visual art influence or support your songwriting while working on George?
Honestly, it really didn’t. Drawing is something I picked up when I was bored in class as a tween. I like doodling, but it’s never really been more than an attempt to either make myself smile or to present impressive. I’ll never show anyone my favorite drawings.
Got a favorite Jake Minch metaphor? Maybe it’s tucked inside ‘Drawing a Tattoo’—you might just need another listen (and a sketchbook) to find it. When you do, let us know over on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Or better yet, belt it out with fellow fans when Jake hits the road this August. His tour kicks off August 3—grab your tickets now on his website.
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