Jakr was told during his freshman year of college that he is like a puppy. This inspired the title for his new album Puppysongs, that was released on December 2.
Check out Jakr’s New Album Here.
Jakr wrote, recorded and produced his first project You Meaning Me in 2019, in his hometown of New Berlin, WI. Jakr didn’t know what was in store as he moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota. He began the creation of his new album in 2020 and finished it just two weeks ago.
“That stuck with me,” said Jakr, recalling the moment he was alluded to as a puppy. “What does that mean? I felt really small and I was realizing how big the rest of the world is.”
“Sleeper” was the last song on Puppysongs to be completed. He said that he was putting off the finalization of the track intentionally because of fear. Jakr shared that the song is the darkest point on the album, as it refers to loneliness, vulnerability and insecurity. He decided to place it as Track 5, as an inspirational nod to Taylor Swift.
“The headspace I was in from when I started to conceptualize it is very different from where I am now,” he said. “I was working on it during what felt like a very formative time of my life; coming out of the pandemic and moving to a new city for college. There were a lot of changes.”
Just like Jakr’s last release, he created everything on the album on his computer. He shared that his favorite songs usually come with a melody and a lyric at once, but most of the time he gets a lyrical idea first, and then the production comes after. He started writing songs in middle school after being inspired by English classes and storytelling.
“I am a classically trained piano player,” Jakr said. “I’ve been playing piano since I was about four or five, so that’s been a big part of my life. I would write a lot of fictional stories and at some point, I was like, ‘What would happen if I blended music with some kind of story over it?’”
As a “Swiftie from the jump,” he notes Taylor Swift as an inspiration for his songwriting revelation. His stage name is based on a childhood nickname and “Clairo vibes.” Prince, Rosalía and Bon Iver are among other artists that Jakr looks toward for inspiration.
“I feel a kinship towards him [Bon Iver] because we are both Wisconsinites,” said Jakr. “I feel like there’s something in his music that someone who knows that area can sense. He’s worked with everyone from Kanye to Taylor Swift, but he still retains his own sound and voice— I think that’s really cool.”
In the future, Jakr hopes to perform more live shows and collaborate with other musicians. As for concrete plans, he isn’t too certain about where his next project will lead him. He finished his first full song since completing the album when he was home for Thanksgiving.
“It felt similar, but different,” Jakr said with a laugh. “It just makes me excited because I feel as I move forward in my life, the things I talk about and the things I go through will also move forward with me. As you keep on moving forward, you will always find new things to be inspired by and new things to create.”
Comments are closed.