We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeremiah Gray . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeremiah below.

Jeremiah , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

January 2023, we launched a new music project called Virtual Nobodies. The title is tongue-in-cheek; at the end of the day, we’re all Nobodies. Defining our own genre we coined ‘coastal desert alt-rock, Xavier Valdez (X) and I wrote our first single, Just So You Know, on a whim. The tune was enough wind in our sails that we launched this project together.

It’s a rare artist that is THAT interesting on their own, so we’re lucky enough to work with Jack Veenstra, a phenomenal illustrator, who is running point creating landscape murals of the world in which these characters and songs live. I’ve always been a fan of the way Gorillaz incorporated multiple mediums of art into their world, and with Jack Veenstra unique style, we’re adding a depth and a world that most bands don’t incorporate.

As of now, we have 6 new songs debuting this October as an EP titled ‘Coastal Desert Melancholy’. As anyone who’s tried knows, forming a band is easy; doing anything consistent with it is much harder. My brother, Joseph Gray (Grizz), recently joined as lead guitarist and writer; getting to write and and perform alongside him and X is one of the rare moments in life where you know you’re exactly where you should be. The stars aligned just in time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jeremiah Gray, I work professionally under the name JAAG, and I write, produce, and perform music. I first got into music when I joined the Moorpark College choir as a freshman; I couldn’t sing in key (friends will say I still can’t) but being in choir first introduced me to the amazing communal power of music that I’m pursuing today in all the work I do. Gathering a group of likeminded, impassioned people and literally learning to live in harmony together was the motivator that catapulted my love of music at 18. Fast forward to September 2023, I have been keeping busy in the world of music. I co-own a production company, Stray Ranger Productions LLC, where I oversee music/sound design alongside an incredibly talented team, I am wrapping production on two albums for some very talented artists, and I’m a part of a new passion project called the Virtual Nobodies, where we’re defining our own genre of music. I’m thankful I’m able to continue creating music with other passionate artists.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I don’t think there is such a thing as “non-creatives”. I truly believe to create is like our default setting as humans. The only distinction I can draw, and something that is missed by the less actively creative, is that we do tend to create out of frustration, rather than leisure. Those whose work I deeply respect seem to have embraced an emptiness within themselves, and drawn from it; that isn’t an easy place to arrive at. It seems akin to performing surgery on oneself; a fun image I know. The journey of a creative is simply to create an empty space. Shape the shapeless. Trace the traceless. And whatever you’re trying to get out of that journey, what you become in the process is infinitely better.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Creativity cultivates community. Starting out in choir illustrated this perfectly for me. As we get older, the reasons for which people gather together tend to become fewer and less meaningful. Responsibility for creating a thriving ecosystem falls on both parties. A chef, for instance, needs to go away, spend hours alone crafting an exceptional dish, getting the spices and portions just right. Eventually, they set the table, light the candles, and invite the consumers to come taste and enjoy the chef’s superior work. But, more important than the chef’s work, or the patrons thoughts on the meal, it’s the fact that by creating something shareable, people gathered at a table together. I believe the role of the creative is to create reasons to gather.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jaagmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__jaag/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGsQ524GZByHRL8nVRj0lyQ

Image Credits
Anna Rosalind Quynh Ong Ty Metcalfe