Along the Way is out November 25!
Image: Supplied.
Melbourne/Naarm based singer-songwriter Jas. is gearing up to release her debut EP, Along the Way. To celebrate the forthcoming release, the artist has shared with seven things she learnt whilst creating the collection of songs.
HURDLES SHOULD NEVER DETER YOU
OX4ORD and I talk to this in the song CATCH22; you’ve gotta learn to take the good with the bad. In the process of writing this EP, I stumbled a fair few times. For example, my team and I went away to start the recording process and I happened to get sick as soon as we arrived. At the time, it felt like the end of the world. But what was supposed to be a weekend spent smashing out vocals, turned into a writing camp that gave birth to the idea behind the ‘rdinary music video, as well as extra time spent workshopping the ideas that you see present in the EP today. Things aren’t always smooth sailing, but we adapt, and we move.
YOU CAN WEAVE THROUGH GENRES AND STILL CREATE A COHESIVE BODY OF WORK
I think this is one of my biggest take aways from this year of creating. Along the Way is such a unique project in its multifaceted approach. It’s cohesive but feels so different with the turn of each corner. It harnesses the bones of pop music coloured with notes of alternative RnB, indie pop and dance/electronic music. I’ve always believed in creating what you feel rather than what people expect. You don’t need to remain in the lane that you’re categorised in, in order to make good music. I think putting that into action in this project really solidified that belief for me and will encourage me moving forward to be brave with experimentation.
MY SONGWRITING PROCESS FLOWS BEST WITH INTENT
Hitting the studio with a vibe in mind, even if I don’t know what the messaging is yet, is how I best work at my craft. I think it became very clear early in the process that I wanted to make something different that tapped into the world outside of mainstream pop. Working with YAAK is always so seamless and we were able to move at the same pace irrespective of the challenge we put ourselves to; so long as I knew what the intent was behind the session a little in advance. Before each session, we’d set the goal of tapping into a particular sound. For me personally, it took listening to artists within those lanes, and using a reference track to get those creative juices flowing.
SEQUENCING, SEQUENCING… SEQUENCING!!
Along the Way was sequenced not just as a playlist of songs, but a narrative that details my journey navigating life, especially in the creative world. The messaging as well as the production have been carefully placed to cultivate a very special listening experience. In the process of creating and releasing my EP, I found that the more attention I paid to the sequencing of the songs, the more alive my project felt. I’ve learnt that if your goal is to tell a story through your music, the best way to relay that is to think about the messaging in each track before deciding its placement within your project. Think of it this way. If you were an author, would you write the ending of your book half way through?
IT’S OKAY TO HAVE FUN WITH IT :)
I’ve touched a lot on intention and for the most part, it’s an important piece of the puzzle when creating. But an equally important piece is having FUN. You can set goals, but it doesn't mean if things don't go to plan, you can't move the goalposts. As I said earlier, things don’t always go to plan. Don’t be disheartened. Experiment. Make mistakes. Challenge yourself and have FUN with it. After all, creating is not just about that end product, it’s about the experiences we have Along the Way.
Pre-save Along the Way here!