Photos courtesy of Adali Schell
22-year-old singer-songwriter Jake Minch explores the complexities of grief, love, guilt, and the discomfort in discovering one’s identity in his debut album, George. Since the release of his 2023 single, “handgun,” he’s earned support from Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine, Gigi Perez, and Gracie Abrams, also having shared stages with The Head And The Heart, Holly Humberstone, and Jeremy Zucker. His music is deeply emotional and intimate, resonating with listeners in a very raw and honest way. His first headline tour across North America brings this feeling to life through passionate, powerful moments with his band, yet endearingly gentle acoustic solo performances. We had the opportunity to chat with Jake about the album and tour via Zoom on the morning of his Denver show.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity purposes.
Kayalani DeGrave: Well, first off, congratulations on your first album, George. It’s such a great listen, and it’s super emotionally engaging. And congratulations on your first headline tour. How would you describe the themes in George to people who haven’t listened to it yet?
Jake Minch: That’s a good question. It’s like the dude from Good Will Hunting for the whole movie…until the very end. A lot of hiding and running and letting stuff build up really bad. The whole thing feels a little bit like it’s Christmas and the family’s together, and they’re really trying not to fight. Then by the end of the night, they’re fighting really bad.
Kayalani: I can totally see that. This album feels super raw and vulnerable. How did writing George differ from your previous work, like your EP, how many? Did you go into the writing process with a specific goal or did the album kind of create itself?
Jake: The album definitely created itself. I didn’t realize that it was almost a concept album until I’d removed myself from where I was after making it, if that makes sense. It took meeting Tony [Berg], who made it, and saying it out loud to then address the path that I was on. Tony was like, “We’re going to make you a pop album.” I was like, “Out of what?” [laughs] What came out are just, like, eight billion songs about me being scared to grow up, so it’s fun to have songs about motion of some kind. I think that’s another string through the album.
Ella Gibson: Well, speaking of Tony Berg, how did his investment make it a healthy environment for you? And what would you say is your favorite memory from working with him?
Jake: He taught me how to not take things so seriously and also how to take people up on their offers. The last day of working on the album, we’d been fighting over this interlude for a really long time, like going back and forth. I wanted to keep it super long. I was like, “If they want to listen, they’re gonna pick it up and really listen to it.” And he’s like, “Jake, it’s so fucking boring. Please don’t do this.” [all laugh] […] We just had a really great laugh about it. I am the most stubborn person of all time, but Tony is also the most stubborn person of all time. And when something lasts, like, when he is still thinking about it, he means it. Meeting him was like an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, me being the force, him being the object, so it was just super formative to smash into something and have to recalibrate.
Kayalani: You’ve also been recognized and worked with some pretty large artists. I know Lizzy McAlpine, Grace Enger, and Alix Page were all there in L.A. last week, and I’m so jealous that I didn’t get to see that one. What is the best advice that you’ve received from collaborators or artists that you look up to regarding your music?
Jake: I think right now, my head is going to the idea that Tony told me that your best ideas are your jokes. He told me that in the beginning, and I’d heard it before, and I was like, “Okay, all right. Broken record a little bit.” […] There was a day that we celebrated Tony’s birthday at Sun City, and Phoebe Bridgers came in, and that was super, super cool. And her range of reference was insane, and it was all funny at the same time. Everyone’s just looking for a weird, tennis back and forth banter. And it was super fun to see that with songwriting, like, really cool ideas come from that.
Ella: That’s so cool that Phoebe Bridgers was there. Kind of speaking of songwriting style, you’re known for your vulnerable lyrics that paint vivid imagery of somewhat everyday experiences. You’ve also described your songs as “villain music” rather than “victim.” Does your raw and personable approach to vulnerability in music feel challenging at all, or is it mostly cathartic?
Jake: This last album was weird because I was convinced that it was the only album I was ever gonna make. So now I’m in a weird spot because I have to be vulnerable on purpose. But yeah, I think I’m definitely open to it. [That’s] the way that I was going about songwriting for a really long time, like anytime that anything would happen, it’s a way of being dissociative. Like my mom and little sister being in a car screaming about how poor we were, and me being like, “That’s a really cool concept for a song.” Instead of being like, “God, they’re right. I hate being poor.” [laughs] […] It does [feel cathartic] in the moment, and then the songs have to come out. And I was going on dates when the album was about to come out and talking to someone, and being like, “Yeah, no, I really want to date, but don’t listen to this album.” [all laugh]
Kayalani: Yeah, I’m sure that’s a very complicated relationship to have with your music. One of my favorites on the album is “Say Uncle,” especially when we saw it live. To me, this song kind of acts as the climax of the album, and it sounds completely different than the rest of the songs. What was it like making “Say Uncle” and why did you choose to take it in a different musical direction than the other tracks?
Jake: That was Tony. [jokingly] Tony is an asshole. [laughs] If I played like, two songs in a row that sounded the same, he’d start yawning. We were, like, three-fourths of the way through workshopping music that we did together, and I did a week where I would just daydrink and, like, fuck around on a guitar. “Say Uncle” happened kind of totally out of [that]. And I brought it to Tony, and I was going to say “Take this with a grain of salt,” but I also just wanted to hear what [he] would say about this, because it’s totally a curveball. And he was like, “That’s the lead single! This is the new bar for your music.” It was super fun. Then recording it, I have the best band in the world. It was Mason Stoops, who accidentally stole the “Footloose” riff and nobody noticed. Like the “bum bum” was totally “Footloose.” [all laugh] It was me, Mason Stoops, Kane [Ritchotte], Sam Wilkes, Benny Bach. We just ripped it.
Ella: Going off of favorites from the album, my personal favorite was “Changed Things,” as well as the accompanying music video. I also loved the series of lyric videos that you had for the album where you see various characters singing along to the karaoke tracks in a bar. I thought that was super cool, because they helped make the album feel like it exists in this own unique world. What is your approach to making music videos or visual content with your music?
Jake: Honestly, it’s the same kind of way I go about songwriting. I worked with Rhys Scarabosio and Shannon Leons. [pulls out phone] I have this idea note, and I would read from [it], like, “Mars, Wyoming, most known for its shooting on the Fourth of July. Why get a hotel when you can sleep at the slots? Money back guarantee if you don’t have fun.” And then Rhys would be like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sleeping at the slots, there’s something there.” And then we would play with that. As we tried to come up with who came up with what idea, we really didn’t even know. Yeah, it was super collaborative and cool. As for the lyric videos, I’d had that concept for a really long time, and then I’d forgotten about it. And then I was with my friend, Colin, one night on the subway and I was complaining about how boring lyric videos are. I was like, “I just want people to do bad karaoke to my songs.” And he was like, “Okay, then do that.” So we did.
Kayalani: That’s awesome. You’re playing in a lot of very intimate venues, which gives your fans a really personal concert experience, like in Orange County where we saw you. And I think that’s so amazing, considering your songs sound so intimate themselves. What do you think the next venues [on your tour] can expect? Or what do you hope audiences take away from your performances?
Jake: I honestly haven’t even really thought of that. We’re just there to show off the songs, [and] kind of tell the stories. I take it very seriously. Tour is like having fun on the road and I’m cracking jokes and stuff. But onstage, I like to lock in and give the songs their justice and let the people who have deeper connections with the songs get their “fix” of the live version. It’s fun to learn how to play with the band. And I think if nothing else, that is just the goal right now. To sit in the green room after and be like, “What worked? What didn’t?” Watch back some videos and be like, “Ooh, Michael, you cannot do that ever again.” [all laugh] The intimate venue thing is so cool, because I really am trying, but I’m also learning, and I feel like everyone has a good grasp of that.
Kayalani: Well, audiences totally got their “fix” at the Constellation Room, for sure.
Jake: Thank you. [laughs] Some shows have been better than others.
Ella: So before we wrap up, we wanted to do some rapid fire questions, if that’s fine with you?
Jake: Cool.
Ella: Which song on the album took the longest to write?
Jake: “Fingers and Clothes.” The hook had been stuck in my head for like, a week and a half, and I didn’t even write it down. I just had the chorus.
Kayalani: Which one was the quickest to write?
Jake: “For Leaving” happened really fast. There is a lyric that got changed, but really, that song happened in like, six minutes.
Ella: That’s awesome. What is your favorite song to perform live?
Jake: “Twice.” It’s fun to not have to worry about guitar. It’s fun to look out at the audience and just see who’s here, see the faces that I’ve seen at Grace Enger and Jeremy Zucker shows. It’s super, super sweet.
Kayalani: Do you have a dream venue to perform at?
Jake: Honestly, no. I wish that I did. It’d be fun to open for someone at the Greek [Theatre].
Kayalani: I love the Greek. And then finally, since we are a radio station first, if you could host a show on any topic, what would you choose?
Jake: Ooh, music for sure. I would love to host a radio show. I used to do StationHead in January. If you guys ever need songs, I’ve got so many.
Kayalani: Any specific genre that you’d want to talk about?
Jake: Singer-songwriter. Like it’d basically be a podcast. [all laugh]
Ella: Perfect.
Kayalani: Well, thank you so much. We’ve had a great time talking with you and learning a little bit more about your music. And good luck with the rest of the tour, I hope it goes well!
Jake: Thank you, I had a great time today. This was really fun.
Check out Jake Minch’s debut album George linked below:
