The multi genre performer, Jake Furia definitely has a passion for music. I love that this young talented musician is so versatile with his music and it truly shows with his well crafted songs on his new EP, The Acoustic EP. The EP, which was recorded at Get Open Studios in Long Island and engineered by Michael Coppola, it can be purchased on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/1elu3gd.
“‘The Acoustic EP’ for me is a starting point. It’s music in a really raw and bare-bones format, and I wanted to start with it for that reason. In my career, I want to get to experience music in as many ways as I can. Everyone who loves art has something in specific to them that they love about it. I think thats beautiful and I want to discover all’ve those things.” explains Furia.
Jake has announced several August tour dates for New York with his band The Be Yourselves. Check out the dates below:
- August 05 Rockville Centre, NY Vibe Lounge
- August 09 Patchogue, NY ArtSpace
- August 15 Holbrook, NY House Show
- August 23 Amityville, NY Revolution
- August 29 Islip, NY East Islip Lanes
We had the opportunity to talk with Jake and are pleased to repost that interview for you here:
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Music Junkie Press: The Acoustic EP is quite impressive, for a stripped down version, you bring to life such emotion! We love it! One of my favorites on it is the track Crazy Woman, can you tell us how that song came about?
Oh thank you guys so much, that makes me really happy to hear you say that haha. Well! Crazy Woman was the first real song I’d ever written when I was about 14 years old. When I was younger and had just started really liking music, I had a huge love for Classic Rock. The opening riff for the song is actually influenced by the opening of Pete Townsend’s (The Who) solo from the song “My Generation”. After I got that riff the chorus just got in my head. There wasn’t any girl or something that sparked that idea haha. However, when I was about 19 or 20, I decided to pick the song back up and finish it based on an Ex-Girlfriend.
Music Junkie Press: How old were you when you first started to play and can you remember what was the first song you played in it’s entirety?
Well when I was 10, my Dad gave me his old Guild Acoustic guitar as a Christmas Present that year. Then when I was 14 my Mom decided to get me guitar lessons for THAT Christmas. And boom, it shaped my whole life afterwards. Oh yes, haha the first song that I got down when I started playing was, “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd. “Take It Easy” by The Eagles was right in there too but i don’t remember where.
Music Junkie Press: Your songs have heartfelt emotion coming through, do you have a particular song writing process and is as emotion for you when you record?
Again, thank you so much, you don’t know how much it means to me that you guys say so. I absolutely have a writing process. Last year (2013) when I decided to take the route of being a solo artist, I had just been coming out of a Heavy Metal band named Deadly Blessed. The biggest thing I changed when I made that switch (after the band had disbanded), was the way that I wrote. Up until last year, when I wrote I remember that I’d always just try to be like really, “Rock ‘N Roll Bro”. I wrote about Whiskey and Leather and Hate and and all of that lol. At the time in life when I became a solo artist however, I’d also just undergone what I can only call a Spiritual Enlightenment. All of the sudden I just opened up, I started writing about love and the beauty of inspiration and creativity. I let the music flow as opposed to trying to force it out and be a cool guy.
Music Junkie Press: Here at Music Junkie Press, we are very strong believers how music can help, heal, inspire and become the soundtrack of our ups and downs of our lives, can you share a particular time when music helped you the most?
Ah yeah, I really do have just one time in particular when I had that happen but it was definitely important to me. At one time in life (when I was 18) I was in a situation where I felt trapped and cut off from going for my dreams. I had a girlfriend that I didn’t really love and I was really afraid that I’d get stuck with her. At the same time I’d started listening to Dream Theater. I had their album “Black Clouds And Silver Linings” which had track on it called “Wither”. The song means a lot to me. It’s about breaking down the stresses of creativity and simply letting the music take you. For me, I remember telling myself and my soul that I promised, that if I got to walk away from that situation that I would give my whole self to my music and nothing else.
Music Junkie Press: What are you currently working on?
ALBUM. Lol, I’m really so stoked right now. Aside from playing some fun summer shows here at home (Long Island), (dates poster attached if you’d like to see), I’m really excited to say that I’ll be working on my first Full a Length LP with my backing band, “The Be-Yourselves”. The album is going to consist of a whole bunch of styles that I love from Pop-Punk to Reggae to Hardcore and EDM. I’m really feeling fortunate that I’m getting the opportunity to create it.
Music Junkie Press: What are your plans for the summer, any shows in the works?
Yessir! Right now I’m actually in the middle of a run of shows that stretch across Long Island and into Manhattan and Pennsylvania. I have a bunch of shows with my backing band, “The Be-Yourselves”, a handful of guest appearances with a Hip Hop artist I work with named Timbo, a Solo Acoustic show here and there, and even a DJ slot as my DJ alias, “Enfuria”. I’m really happy to say that because of how diverse our music scene is here on Long Island, that I’ll be playing with bands of a bunch of different genres. The shows are across a few different scenes, ranging from Punk to Reggae to Hip/Hop and I’m sure I’ll see a Hardcore show before the season is done (most of my homies play in Death Metal and Hardcore bands and I love that stuff).
Music Junkie Press: When you are not busy writing or performing, what do you like to do in your “off time”?
Well whenever I’m not at my job with my Dad or working on my career, I have a really sweet girlfriend named Sandra. I always love doing stuff with her, she’s awesome. 🙂 Otherwise, I go to concerts, music festivals, raves etc. I stay pretty much just in with the music, you know.
Music Junkie Press: If you could collaborate with anyone or band, who might that be?
I actually literally just had this aspiration hit me yesterday. My number one artist that I would really love to collaborate with is the DJ Bassnectar. Whether it be as a featured musician or if we could actually make a track together. He’s a big inspiration to me. His vibe is amazing and I would really be honored. I also really want to make track with my favorite band The Dirty Heads.
Music Junkie Press: “Breathe” is another track that is amazing and your vocals create such a vulnerability yet very powerful. Can you tell me the inspiration behind that song?
Thanks so very much, I’m really happy you think so. That song is actually super important to me because it was the thing that sparked the direction I took with my career. I wrote that song back in like 2011 when I had randomly gotten the idea for the opening riff. When I start writing lyrics for it I ended up writing a whole story. What it’s about is a guy who’s girlfriend has passed but he can really still feel her in every area of his life. At the end of the story though, he finds peace in realizing that he’d been dead all along and they could be together anyway. I know it’s a little morbid sounding but for me in a way I don’t acknowledge death. I think that energy passes around to different vessels and lives on. If you can embrace the concept of eternity it makes life very calm.
Music Junkie Press: What is your Go To song that you can play and instantly gets you into that feel good mood?
Right now it’s really any song that has the super slowed down ambient alternative rock vibe. Like the band Brand New, I love that stuff. Like right now I started covering the Grateful Dead’s, Friend Of The Devil I’m doing it in a way that’s slower and gets you to listen to those chords a little more. I really do love a lot of things though, Punk music is my thing right now, I started listening to The Wonder Years and Bayside and Neck Deep and Four Year Strong and fell in love.
Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there something you would like to share with our audience?
Yeah, I mean the most exciting thing that’s going on right now is that I’m going to start recording my first LP at the end of the summer! I’m stoked because this one is going to feature my Full Backing Band, “The Be-Yourselves”. It’s called, “Where The Ends Fall Off” and what it’s going to be is kind of an Alt. Rock album with really direct instances of Pop Punk, Reggae, Hardcore and just a lil’ Electro.
I keep up to date pretty much on all of my medias so if you’re ever interested on the progress or anything feel free to check it out. 🙂 I put all of my links below! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me.
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I hope you make sure to check out Jake’s social media sites and take a listen here to my favorite song, Breathe which is also available as a FREE Download.
Also make sure to check out the following dates and catch Jake live at a venue near you!
~ Marisol
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