By Alysa O'Connor

Jak James, a songwriter based in the Southwest. After the demise of his previous band WARHORNS, Jak began writing and recording solo. ‘This Old Home‘, the first release from Jak’s solo work, was written on a 400 year old dairy farm turned studio after he returned to the arms of the coastline. Living with producer Alik Peters-Deacon, Dark Matter Studios and with sounds reminiscent of Fink, Ben Howard and Big Thief to name a few, ‘This Old Home‘ is just the beginning; a journey we’re stoked to be watching unfold.

The release of Jak James’ new single was exclusive to The Virtual Pub, an amazing online community that we’ll be speaking about more in the near future. 

Jumping straight in, I’ve listened to this song on repeat. The past couple days it has been giving me such a calming feeling that I feel we could all definitely use at this time. Also the artwork is absolutely beautiful. It’s a gorgeous and accurate encapsulation of this emotive piece of music.

The chord progression is incredibly alluring, with vocals resembling Bon Iver, Beach House, Benjamin Francis Leftwich (All of the B’s!), the single wastes no time on introduction, slap bang into the good stuff. One and a half seconds in, and Jak’s voice is already taking you on a journey of self-reflection that I can’t help but deem I’m observing first person. 

Forty-three seconds brings with it an ethereal ballad that really hooks you. The following harmonies, the wavering fade-outs and Jak’s beautiful whisper-sing really demand your attention. The soothing choral vibe switches to powerful intention half way through the track, an intention that offers a sense of conviction in Jak’s journey. The back beat comes in around two minutes in and really gives you the sense of a climax in this journey. It’s as if your walking through woods, up hills and trudging through mud with Jak, to say this single brings the listener a sense of determination and longing is a serious understatement. 

Listen to ‘This Old Home’ here:

All proceeds going to the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal. 

Let us know what you think!