We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jake Luttrell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jake, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Like many musicians I am cursedly forward thinking, so I’ll be answering this question with a future, unreleased project. This is a song I’m proud of, and after winning a long battle with my confidence as a producer will be releasing as my first self-produced project on streaming platforms (Spotify, etc.): a pop/soul single called “Count on You”.
This release means the world to me. Not just from a “Hey I sound good!” standpoint, but for the production that went into it being the first release that I created the beat for, and my first solo release recorded in Nashville. I’m not new to Nashville, but I grew up on the East Coast and have always traveled back to NYC to record my vocals.
Speaking on beats (the instrumental of a song) – Pretty much all of my releases have been over other producers’ production, a.k.a. beats created by other people, whether in collaboration or forwarded onto me … “Count On You” will be my first foray into creating a soul beat with my signature sampling technique and flavor, and then working with my audio engineer here in Nashville to record vocals and bring that step-by-step vision to life.
As far as how it sounds – The sample is a smooth vocal cut, the drums are a clean disco-esque break, and the hook is almost chanty. Not shanty like sea shanty, “chanty” like you and your friends chanting at a football game. Or soccer. The World Cup is on and 2022 America plays Iran today. That will date this interview, and that brings me to the date I plan to release “Count on You”.
I plan to drop in the early new year, as I’m avoiding the saturation of Christmas music and Mariah Carey. Not that I’m currently competing with her, but you’ll notice how a lot of big artists do not release music in December, and then in January the musical flood gates open. Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey, and any up-and-coming artist with merry intentions will outstream your favorites and dominate playlisting during the holidays. Nothing wrong with that. I consider myself festive and have a Charlie Brown tree in my apartment, but I want people to hear this single after I put said tree back in the closet. Also, shoutout the piano player from Charlie Brown. He would love “Count on You”
Jake, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
About myself. My name is Jake Luttrell. I am a singer and music producer. I hail from Fairfield County, Connecticut, but have been based in Nashville, Tennessee for six years. They say you need ten years to actually claim to be a Nashvillian. I think it’s when your Chelsea boots become cowboy boots, and you have PTSD-like thoughts when the word “bachelorette” is used in a sentence. Currently working on the former without looking foolish.
As far as my musical pursuits, they started young. I grew up playing blues piano pretty much my whole life. I wasn’t necessarily “weird” in grade school, but I spent a lot of time alone in practice rooms, hammering away. Although Billy Joel and gospel music were heavily in the mix growing up, it was hip hop that really caught my ear at a young age.
I started as an odd, pretentious purist who only considered the most lyrical, underground, or oldschool of rap to be “real music”. Think gritty East Coast 90s guys like Nas, Big L, anything over DJ Premier – or underground artists like MF Doom or Atmosphere (MC Slug). That was all me up until late high school when my friends shook me out of that phase with some 808s.
Eventually in high school I started singing. I would rip piano scales over hip hop instrumentals, but then write and record songs how Billy Joel would. I even met a bunch of art students from New York City through my travels, and joined a funk-jazz big band that played in downtown Manhattan. We played the Apollo Theater at one point, and members of that band are still kicking ass today. Shoutout Dissonance.
Throughout all that playing, I silently practiced rapping and infusing hip hop elements into my written music, but it wasn’t until college that I took a genuine stab at recording that disgusting hodge-podge of sound I called my own. That college was Belmont University, home of the T-Swizzle clones and house show rockstars. Along with forty-ounces of Natural Ice, I tried to consume the talent around me. People in Nashville will joke about the musical arrogance of the Belmont University student, but a lot of them can back it up. Playing with my peers during that time truly gave me a grip on the blues and a Nashville sound.
Fast forward to today. I’m a few years past solely jamming with the peers, and I consider my hodge-podge of sound refined and no longer disgusting. I have music out now on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms. I take recording very seriously and meticulously, and through recording at a studio in Brooklyn have been able to land a couple real placements, singing hooks for a hip hop artist I grew up listening to named Nyck Caution among them.
After landing those features, I’ve now honed in on my own production, and have been channeling my inner J Dilla. I flip old soul records and program live instruments, and sing with a voice confident enough to record and release over said production. My motto is “baby steps,” as I’m trying to build something organic and real. They say the quicker it comes, the quicker it goes. My audio engineer here in Nashville, Scott Harris understands that. We record at Lotus Landing Studios which he built himself, and if anyone wants to be a part of it, we’ll be there. Live sessions galore.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
A lot of artists struggle internally with the question: are they doing it for attention and ego, or doing it for the love of the art? It’s okay to say both. Who doesn’t wanna be somebody? I think what matters, is how people are influenced by said somebody doing whatever it is they do.
My mission is to raise the bar in popular music. To make music complex enough for the deep musicians or Fantano-minded critics, but sonically appealing enough for the masses to dance to with their families. My all-time favorite artist Kendrick Lamar champions this sort of thing through his music. You can party to the sound, but if you stop and listen to how the music was created in both lyrics and production, your mind explodes at the talent and layers.
This might happen across a single song, or a whole album, and I may struggle at first being Charlie Puth pop guy on one song, and Earl Sweatshirt on the next, but I think that sonic nirvana and that multi-genre mastery can be achieved. Look at Anderson Paak. That man raised the bar.
I want people to look at me and think: layers. Then think: Let me try (insert undiscovered layer).
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Just show love. If you’re not a creative, but you hear or see something you enjoy: like that post. Send that comment. If you’re not online or social media understandably freaks you out: just share the song or art form with those closest to you. Maybe give that compliment when you see that person or group.
Every bit counts in the early stages of someone’s career. Not just from a career-advancement standpoint, but by validating that person’s dream, you’re countering every intrusive thought of doubt they may have on a regular basis. It makes my day when someone I’ve never met or don’t usually interact with reaches out of the blue and says they listen or their friends listen. It makes my day when someone I do know does. That includes you, Mom and Deanna.
The same thing goes if you are a creative. I’ve seen too many musicians with the squirrely mindset that there isn’t enough to go around. That if they expend energy on supporting their friends’ careers, they won’t hold onto any clout themselves. This is false and downright ridiculous. My fellow savants, the hand of attention that feeds you is of many, like the Vitruvian Man (guy in a circle with a shit ton of arms).
Do not listen to the voice inside that says if you like that post, you’re taking a brick from your house to add to theirs. If one house looks nice, the value of the other goes up. Or something like that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/JakeLuttrell
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jake.luttrell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jake.luttrell/
- Twitter: @jake_luttrell_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jake.luttrell