A LOCAL MUSIC & FILM PROJECT on Electric City Life inspired by Tiny Desk I’ve been wanting to do (since I started ECL in 2014 w/ The Loft) has begun…

We started with the talented Michael David recording three sessions and posting the content from The Loft Recording Studio session on YouTube with the article.

We’ve recorded Lylie Mae, Miguel Juarez and Josiah Toussiant at my house- but have not released the content, yet. Stayed tuned, this one has been fun and such an incredible learning/connecting experience for us all!

DEMO RELEASE March & May 2022

Loved what Dave Grohl said, in reference to Nirvana starting off as a band, “..get in your garage and just suck. And get your friends to come in and they’ll suck, too. And then they’ll start playing, and they’ll have the best time they’ve ever had in their lives, and then all of a sudden they’ll become Nirvana.” I am learning by sucking then realizing what I have fun creating with friends! Art’s subjective so y’all will resonate with different songs/sounds I’m creating, or not, & this is all new territory since I’ve always been private about my music.

I’ve written songs since I was seven years old, taught myself to play chords on the guitar and piano, played with a couple of bands, but always wanted to do more with what I heard in my head than just tool around in Garage Band. This process of developing music has been cathartic and my hope is this healing process can translate to others.

Each single release I would like to connect with a cause, while mostly focusing on Mental Health; the upcoming album, “Death of a Dream”, is a concept record on grief, loss, and resurrection addressing the five stages of grief.

Major influences are Janis Joplin, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Outcast, Radiohead, The Cure, Carol King, Empire of the Sun, Warpaint, Arcade Fire, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Florence and the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Bach, 2Pac, and many more.

I’m inspired by the fluidity of water (most often writing by or in water), certain sounds/beats/frequencies, relationships, traveling, and (of course) nature walks with various landscapes.

I’m partnering with the International Monroe Institute using specially designed binaural beat audio-guided technology that will incorporate layers of healing sound frequencies and subliminal affirmations, too.

When Olan started helping me build the foundation of my songs in the summer of 2020, I was thrilled but it woke me up to how blocked and depressed I’d become.

She was thriving and really kicked me off by producing three stems with her multi-layered-electro-dreamy-dance-pop sound, “Raised”, “Champions”, and the title track of the upcoming album, “Death of a Dream”, then my whole world was shaken a part. 

I worked some with Wyndhem at The Loft Recording Studios in developing, “Warrior”, but was still trying to figure out my sound.

I picked back up with Jesse Shelby at his studio, Might As Well Records, in December 2020, after a lot of personal losses that Fall, we worked on the songs, “Death of Dream” and “Champions”, through The Winter- but when my Mama died I had a hard time concentrating on anything.

I started back with Justin Belew at his Bibb City Studios in The Spring, we worked on recording while developing the more melodic, soulful-stripped-down song, “Warrior”, with April Norris. 

After taking a pilgrimage out West and a journey through Florida, I started working with Jason Ezell at his Spinaker Studios in The Fall of 2021. We’ve released, “Raised”, now we are developing, “Shakin'” a deep, indie-rock-n-roll, funk, multi-layered, spirit filled song.

I’m finding my groove, and it’s exciting how we are producing layers of big sounds with lyrics that do not play like any other music we’ve heard. 

Summer and Fall of 2022 I traveled and started learning music production to help better create the sounds in my head. Learning Pro-Tools and connecting with The Loft Recording Studio Collective every month, working with Chris Johnson at his home studio and setting up my home studio has really taught me a lot! I continue to say that I feel like I’m in college, again and I loved University of Georgia 😉

RAISED Inspiration:

I wrote RAISED on the piano in 2018, in a state of grief over my brother and general depression, then added to it this year after I lost my precious Mama, too. Even in deep despair and struggling with wanting to live, We can channel the resurrection of life when We, “get up“, shift our energy/focus, and “concentrate on what is pure, lovely and good“. This is a tool that can take us out of the downward spiral of loss to creating a better reality/life. (Personal note: This has been a huge weapon for me to fight off depression- but I’ve also needed family/friends, medication, cognitive therapy, exercise, healthy diet, breathing exercises, sound healing, and better self-care/talk to help, too.)

Lyrics:

Get up

 Fasted & I wept & I prayed 
 It didn’t bring you back from the grave 
 Still hear The Spirit say 
 That raised Jesus from the grave…
 You say…

 Get up 

 I wrestled like Jacob in the night 
 Walked wounded 
 Alone after the fight 
 Screamed at God to bless me
 The spirit wouldn’t let go of me 
 It’s the shadow work 
 It’s the night of the soul 
 Darkness you’ve avoided 
 It’s now your black hole

 (Go Places) 
 Fasted! (You shouldn't go)
 And I wept and I prayed! (You know things) 
 It never (others shall not know)
 Brought you back from the grave! (Still I laid there) 
 It’s all I (fasted, wept & prayed)
 Wanted that day! (All I wanted)
 It’s all I want everyday! (All I wanted)
 You speak to me (All I wanted)
 From the grave 
 You say (get up)

 Get up (if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s good, concentrate on these things) 
 Get up (if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s good, concentrate)
 Get up (if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s good, concentrate)
 Get up (if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s good, concentrate)
 Get up (if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s good, concentrate)

 Get up 

I’m grateful to Producer EZ Duzzit for helping finish mixing and mastering the song for distribution. Thank you to Artist, Kench Lott Weathers, for the iPhone cover art and Lindsey Orick, with Idle Plum Design, for helping complete my simple design.

RAISED Remix from Producer Keyonu is out now, I enjoyed working with this young talent and look forward to working with him more. Thank you to Rado Judge for helping me with the cover art, hopefully a music video is coming soon!

Thank you for the media:

“Raised is a genre-bending single narrating the inner thoughts of someone attempting to escape a deep depression, the listener can visualize a person feeling physically unable to move due to intense grief. At the end, it’s like a rebirth & you’re hopeful the subject will make it though.”

Thank you to these folks for adding me to their Spotify playlists: Chill Tape, Indie Valley Music, New York City, Girls like Sunset, 2022 Future Nostalgia.

Thank you for the having me for these performances: Praise Fest 2022, Music Entertainment Council Showcase, and Mental Health Luncheon. 

Thanks for following and much love,

Jacy on 1/17/23