Jonah Kagen
Jonah Kagen has just released his new single “Pollution”. The self-written/produced single is a storytelling record that explores the subject of nostalgia and the feeling of losing our innocence as we get older. Emotional and vulnerable, “Pollution” is a story we could all relate at some point in our lives.
Jonah Kagen is now getting ready to go on his first headline tour and a support tour with Phillip Phillips, click here to see all the dates.
“Pollution” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Daniel O’Donohue
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Jonah Kagen! I grew up in Savannah, Georgia and started playing guitar when I was six. I learned to play jazz guitar for the first eight years or so before leaving for a boarding school in Minnesota to play soccer. While I was at that school, I fell in love with the acoustic sound, so I started writing songs and experimenting with production. I went to college to play Division 1 soccer at Cornell University, but while I was there I also started posting videos of my music online. Once the pandemic hit full force, I leaned in hard to the music and content, and I started to gain some traction. I released my first single in January 2021, signed a record deal in April of that same year, and I have been gratefully learning and working on my project since then. I still can't believe I get to do this with my life!
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a whole lot of classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Journey, to name a few) and a lot of Linkin Park. Once I got to high school, I started listening to a combination of acoustic music and then EDM music. I also got deeply into country music at one point. It was weird. The duality of man! But, all of that culminated into the sound I love and strive for in my own music today — that raw, powerful, folky sound.
When did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
I still can't believe I'm doing it! I was always so passionate about music, but I never thought I was good enough to be an artist. I didn't think people would want to listen. It wasn't until I started to get a reaction on social media that I thought, "Oh my God, this is real–this is my opportunity." I'm still terrified to show people the things that I write, but it's incredibly special to have people there to receive it.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you, professionally?
My family has always been so supportive of me. I've got quite an ambitious mind, and I've had plenty of lofty endeavors, and each time they've all said, "Okay, let's figure out how to do it." Even if I said I wanted to be the first person to jump from Earth to the moon or something, they’d support me. I’m so grateful for that. More specifically, though, my sister is the first person who really pushed me to give it a try. She's always believed in me and continues to push for me. We built the project together from the ground up, and we still get to do it every day. It's such a rewarding experience to get to do something like that with your best friend.
"Pollution" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
"Pollution" is about wanting my old self back. It might sound somewhat like a love song in the chorus, but it's really about the pain that comes with losing your innocence as you get older, and wanting to do anything in the world to get it back.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
I did this one myself! I was messing around with some weird open tunings on my guitar (I don't even remember what tuning this song is in anymore) and stumbled upon the guitar riff, which I absolutely loved. I felt it in my core, and the first emotion that came up was that nostalgic feeling and wanting to be that little kid again. From there, I recorded the song acoustically, experimenting with tracking the guitars in stereo, which makes the guitar sound nice and wide. I sat with it that way for a couple of weeks and decided it needed some power behind it. I actually ended up finishing the production at various coffee shops around Nashville. I would set up, listen through with fresh ears, and think about what it was making me feel and what it needed. I added some pads and strings and bass to fill it out, and then did my best to really bring out the power with the drums. The last thing to go in was that piano lick that you hear at the beginning and throughout the song. It was just a little piece of ear candy that was like the cherry on top. I'm so proud of it.
What's your favorite lyric on "Pollution"?
This song has some of my favorite lyrics that I've ever written. I think "not one drop of pollution" really says a lot without saying much, which is the best kind of lyric in my opinion. I also think the same of "I remember that winter when snow was just snow," and "All at once I got older and outgrew you."
What does this song make you feel?
It makes me feel the exact sentiment I was feeling when I wrote it–nostalgic, and longing for old innocence.
What made you want to release "Pollution" as a single?
It was difficult to pick a song to come as a single following "The Roads." I wanted to put out something that was uniquely me in the exact same way–raw, powerful, and poetic. I think it does exactly that, and the story comes from deep in my heart.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork was a shot taken from the music video. It was such a quick and simple setup, and a one-shot video, but it came out so beautifully. David is such a talented person and shares the same passion in bringing out power through simplicity.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is definitely the mental side. The work, the hustle, the preparation is all fun. It's hard work, but it's so much fun. The part that isn't fun is the constant mental highs and lows. It's hard to be somewhere in the middle as an artist. When things are going well, you're over the moon. When things aren't, it's easy to get really down on yourself. I know I speak for many artists when I say I often stake my self-worth, not purposefully of course, on the success of the music, the post, the reaction, etc. It's easy to get caught up in. The best part, however, is the greatest thing in the world. It's the ability to do something I love every day in the hopes that I can impact someone else's life in a positive way. That's such an unbelievable gift to be given. To actually meet people and hear their stories–that's the best.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
This is a tough one. I don't think I'm necessarily in a position to critique the music industry by any means, but as a human who is a part of it, it is such a unique and significant time in the history of music. The combination of the pandemic and the rise of rapid-engagement social media platforms made it so that so many incredibly talented people were seen, seemingly overnight. I wouldn't be doing this if that didn't happen for me! At the same time, while it has never been a better time to be discovered or to connect and share music with the world, I think it has, in many ways, taken a bit of the soul out of music. Music to me is the closest connection we have to heaven. It's an expression from our soul. When you make music to chase virality or to please an algorithm, I think you lose a piece of that expression. That said, I think people are again craving that expression in music, and there are people in the business side of the industry who are good, really good, and who get it. It's just about finding the right ones. If I could change anything, I would want people to recognize that their self-worth does not come from social media success, and that music is far more important than that.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
I've learned so much in the past three years of doing this professionally. I've learned about music, about the industry, about other people, about psychology, and so much about myself. Some of the biggest lessons I've taken away with include:
1) It's not that deep. I'm a deeply anxious person, and I always have to remind myself that it's just not that deep. The world isn't ending if you don't get a lot of views on your dumb little post. Go with the flow, deal with things as they come, let yourself feel everything, and deliberately express gratitude.
2) If you can impact just one person's life with your music, it's enough. I've believed in this from the very beginning, but it always centers me. Even if that person is you, that's all that matters. What a gift! You get to change someone's life with something you thought up in your mind? That's unbelievable. Be grateful.
3) Trust yourself. I spent so much time at the beginning thinking everyone else knew better than me. There are amazing people, who are certainly so much better at so many things than me, but nobody is better at being Jonah than I am. Having confidence in my actions and my gut feelings with music has been perhaps the most valuable thing I've developed in this whole journey. Luckily I've had so many people in my corner to support me in that.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
There are so many, but Zach Bryan's DeAnn and Noah Kahan's Cape Elizabeth have both influenced me so heavily. They are both such geniuses at writing that kind of lyric I mentioned earlier–one that makes you feel so much without even saying a lot.
You're about to embark on your first headline tour in October, how do you feel? What can we expect to hear/see?
I honestly feel nothing but gratitude. I still can't believe it, and I'm just trying to savor every part of the experience, including the prep. I honestly don't even know what the show is going to be like yet, but I can promise that it will come from my soul, and I'm going to give you everything I've got.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Compassion is my answer to everything. It solves every single problem. Think about it!
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