Jack Symes
Jack Symes is a singer/songwriter from Pasadena, California. His musical journey started with a drum set he received for his 13th birthday and was followed by a guitar his freshman year of high school. He went on to play the drums throughout his time in school, and even participated in the drum-line. Fortunately, Jack also grew up in a house full of musical interest and talent; Jack explained,
“My dad had a pretty serious catalogue of music, and both of my sisters were pretty musically interested. Growing up it was a lot of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, and a lot of Laurel Canyon artists.”
These were just a few of Jack’s major musical influences in his early life.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Jack decided to give the whole music world a try; this kicked off with a two and a half month tour that would turn the first page. Even after the tour though, he decided to take a non-music related job. He was eventually laid off, but fate was on his side. After accepting yet another job, Jack soon realized he simply wanted to continue playing music. Looking back, this would be a pivotal moment in Jack’s life that would launch him head first into his music career.
As for his knack for songwriting, he began with his hit song, “The Fear of It All.” According to Jack’s friends, it was supposedly “really fucking sad.” With his songwriting beginning relatively early on, it took time for Jack to truly find his voice. Jack’s first EP, “Gargoyles,” dropped in 2016 while he was still in the beginning stages of figuring out how exactly he wanted to express himself to the world. Jack is still shocked to this day that people find his early music any good at all, but he feels it is a great reminder of where he first started.
Jack later wrote another hit, “City Fog,” with an illustrative analogy. As he sings, he relates the San Francisco fog rolling into the city and quickly fading away to someone swooping into your life only to have those memories also fade. At the time, Jack had been in a long-distance relationship, and it was during that downward spiral this song really came to life. For those who can relate to this type of relationship, you can attest to the struggles that only these particular couples go through day in and day out. Eventually, you must learn to cherish the few, precious moments you have together, or they may fade away like the San Francisco fog.
In contrast, I was sad to hear that, “Sugar Mama,” is purely fictional, but Jack says he gets a lot of people who can relate to the song, and it cracks him up. So, if you have ever dated a Sugar Mama or are currently, please reach out to him and let him know- he’d love to hear about your Sugar Mama experience!
Continuing on, Jack grew up Catholic and was from a household with a very religious background. It wasn't until his time at Berkley that he began to realize there was not much Catholic going on, but his song, “Cool God,” is by far my favorite song (followed closely behind by, “Dream Lady”). The song paints a mental picture of God in heaven dealing with all of our sins and BS we get ourselves into here on Earth... Does he ever take a break? For those of you who have yet to hear the song, picture J.F.K chilling with God, smoking a cig, and He tells J.F.K., “Yeah, I messed that one up.” Definitely give this one a listen.
Just shortly after his album, Songs for Moms, dropped that includes the two songs mentioned above, Jack posted on social media, “Hey- if you want to host a show, I'm there.” From that, he scheduled THIRTY house shows spanning all the way from west coast to east coast. Fortunately, he was able to use this tour as a conduit to move from L.A. to New York. During this road trip, Jack happened to play on Audiotree Live, which is a HUGE deal when it comes to getting exposure of that type. He also came through Texas to play a few shows, and even though he said that Houston was better than Dallas, I’m happy to report he had a great experience in the greatest state.
So what has Jack been up to since? Well, COVID-19 had a major impact on his music, as well as his mental health. When the governor of California put the state on lockdown, him and his band were in the studio working on a new album. For the next two months, they would record his new album, Tompkin’s Park. What’s the meaning behind the title?
“Most of the songs on the record were written in and nearby Tompkin’s Square Park. Mostly written in a period of new surroundings in New York and the anxieties that came along with that.”
After such a strong year in 2019, it was certain that Jack had big plans for 2020, but little did he know that he was about to embark on a truly mentally-draining rollercoaster. How did a full-time musician handle the lockdown? Jack says, “it sucked. Still sucks. And will continue to suck.” Although he was able to finish his second full-length album during the lockdown, he would soon fall down and begin his mental war with depression; this battle would continue through the new year with lulls of creativity and energy. Fortunately, 2021 looks to be a bit brighter year than the last, and Jack’s sophomore album will drop on March 26th, 2021. So far, he has released four of the five songs that he plans to share before the album’s release. Being locked in a studio because that is the only thing they could do has its pros and cons; Jack Symes and his band were able to discover “new sounds and new environments.” Checkout his most recent single, “Wait.”
What a beautiful song, am I right? Think about what the rest of the album will be like...
I can’t guarantee that you won’t lay there and be all up in your damn feels, but enjoy the tunes and show the love. This is just the beginning for artist, Jack Symes, but be sure to find him on all musical platforms to hear more!
Massive thanks to Jack for taking the time to do my first interview for To Be Discovered. Best wishes to you, your band and your loved ones.
Cheers
-Stephen
