Common Jack
Common Jack’s music is poetic. It is beautiful, inspiring, soothing and emotional. I’m so happy he released this EP Lake Song. This project is filled with honest storytelling and beautiful melodies. Each song is stunning and they perfectly blend together. “Zion National Park” is definitely my favorite song from him and my favorite song of this project. The songwriting and the melodies on this one are just incredible.
I love Common Jack’s music, because it’s real and personal. Listening to his music just brings you love and comfort. At least that’s what I feel when listening to his records. Congrats Common Jack on this EP and thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions :)
Lake Song is now available worldwide :)
Photo credit: Nicole Mago
Hey John, how are you?
I'm so good! It's been a busy few weeks between work, life, and gearing up for this release, but I'm so excited it's finally out.
You've just released your new EP Lake Song - how's it feel like to release this EP?
It feels surreal to have this EP finally out in the world, after such a long recording process. Some of these songs have actually been out for a while but it was really important to me to include them, for the sake of the piece. This is the most personal collection of songs I've ever put out and honestly, it's the first time I really feel like I've found my true voice as an artist. So that feels pretty great.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this EP? Who helped you create it?
I wrote all the songs myself, tucked away in my bedroom. For the production side of it, I worked closely with my longtime producer and friend, Harper James. He works out of Degraw Sound in Brooklyn, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. I would take rough demos (sometimes just iPhone voice memos) and show them Harp. We would discuss some production ideas before we ever got in the studio. That way, we had the beginnings of a process in place before we ever stepped foot into the building. But we're always careful to let the production go where it wants to go once we're really in the thick of it. If it turns out that none of our preconceived ideas work, then we throw them out and just follow our gut.
What different topics are you talking on this EP?
This record is really about cultivating peace within yourself. We can run around looking for validation from the outside all our lives, and we'll never be happy. And I mean truly, deeply happy. Not the fleeting thrill of getting the job, or finding the partner, or anything else. I'm talking about an unbreakable bond you have with yourself that carries you through whatever life throws at you. When I was writing most of these songs, I was a wreck mentally. I had been chasing so many things in my life, believing that everything would be okay if I got them. The record deal. The great apartment. Another guitar (lol). I got all of it and I was only more miserable. And I realized it was because I didn't have that unbreakable bond with myself as a foundation.
Any favorite memories from the making of this EP?
For me it was when we were making Zion National Park. We were looking for some extra layers for the bridge of the song, which is really where the emotional climax is. So we really needed to have this feeling of the song cracking open at that moment. Harper plugged in his telecaster and played a very simple arpeggiating rhythm over the vocals and I instantly teared up. It was such a nice reminder that in many cases in life, the simplest answer is the best answer.
What was the hardest part about making this EP?
The hardest thing was being patient with the process. I heard these songs so clearly in my head but it took me a long time to be able to articulate what they were. In the end, they just needed to marinate a little longer than I wanted them to. But damn it was worth the wait.
What did you feel when writing "Zion National Park"? What's your favorite thing about this song?
I'm obsessed with every aspect of this song. But if I had to pick one thing, it would be the lyrics. These are the simplest and most straightforward lyrics I've ever come up with, and I think that makes them the most powerful. Back to the simplest answer being the best answer, right? There are all sorts of fun things happening in the words. My favorite lines are:
Tunnel vision in a mountain tunnel was
Black as night although the day had just begun
We came out of it into a blinding sun
And I was whispering, "damn I've been on the run"
That one makes me a little weepy :)
What made you want to release an EP?
I've been releasing a stream of singles for a couple years now and I was anxious to put something out that made more of a statement. An EP was the perfect answer to that feeling.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
My dad took that picture!!! He snapped it outside the back window of the house where he and my mom live. They're on the shore of a lake down in Virginia. It's partially where I grew up. That's where my affinity for lakes comes from. They carry such a strength and power to them that I feel calmer and more grounded anytime I'm around one. The EP title and artwork were actually born back in 2018 when I was writing I Don't Mind. The crux of that song lyrically goes:
I am done pretending I'm not spending
All my days on the run
I looked inside my state of mind
And found a lake glistening in the sun
There are a lot of parallels built into the lyrics of the songs on this EP. I love records that draw through lines like that because it helps them feel more like a collective statement.
What did you learn about yourself after finishing this project?
It's truly not about the streams, or the record deal, or the clout. It's about making something that you love listening to.
As an artist, how's it like to release music in 2021? Any challenges?
*motions to everything in existence right now*
This is the main challenge to releasing music in 2021. Aside from the struggles that humanity is experiencing, I think on a more micro level, the biggest challenge is staying true to who you are as an artist. There are so many trends out there that people encourage you to jump on. And knowing when to jump and when to keep your feet on the ground is tough. It all goes back to the unbreakable bond with yourself, and it's a hard thing to keep in mind.
What's your goal for this EP?
I know I just said it's not about the streams but I want everyone on planet Earth to hear these songs! Making them taught me something important about myself. And I really believe that they have something to offer to anyone who presses play.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career so far?
Great works are not performed by strength, but by perseverance.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Honestly it's just the chorus of Zion National Park:
I'm not built for happiness
Or so I thought
Maybe I deserve this
Maybe I was wrong