Atlanta Duo Jack And The Other Finds Freedom In The DIY Music Scene
Jack and the Other is 2019’s newest and truest example of the do-it-yourself musicmaker. The Atlanta-based duo released their debut project Circles earlier this year; a 7-song, 30 minute EP written, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered at their home in Decatur, GA, where the two converted a family room into a fully renovated, acoustically treated studio and recording space. Prior to their EP release in January, the pair had already published a music video for their first single “E.S.T.” in late 2018, handling every detail from the initial concept to the final edits themselves. While just a decade ago, this type of faculty and self-reliance would have been a relative novelty, there are now many artists taking this sort of initiative in the modern music climate, operating within similar budgetary and resource constraints. So what makes these two any different from the gambit of other up-and-coming acts making do with less than professional resources? An honest answer to that question involves hearing the music itself, where the intricate attention-to-detail and unbridled creativity within the art shines through in a manner that not only embraces, but celebrates the sole responsibility of independent music as an institution. First though, learn who’s behind Jack and the Other (JATO).
JATO is comprised of brothers Cal Brown and Jack Muta. Cal provides vocals, guitar, and lyric writing while Jack heads production, instrumentation, and engineering. The Circles EP is a collaboration project four years in the making, progressing gradually in the time between each of their solo projects The album presents an eclectic blend of genres including blues, electronica, soul, hip hop, funk, and jazz, inspired each of their contrasting musical backgrounds. Cal’s solo work is characterized by bluesy, rhythmic guitar riffs and soft yet soulful singer-songwriter style vocals while Jack’s music is a one-of-a-kind blend of hip hop, jazz, and electronica most identifiable by his uniquely original sound-selection. The blending of these two styles results in a solid backbone of exciting and original production that supports smooth vocals and heartfelt lyrics, and results in JATO’s undeniably distinctive sound. “Each track stands on its own as some kind of genre-bending intersection between our different styles” Says Cal, referencing the finished EP’s sound, “it really came together naturally, and I think both of us are delighted and honestly somewhat surprised at how cohesive the finished product turned out to be. I’d like to say that was always a certainty, but I think in a lot of ways we were unsure at the beginning as to where we could meet and still make something worth listening to.”
Jack and the Other’s noteworthiness, however, is not solely a result of their music, as a lot of what sets them apart in such a crowded pool of indie/DIY artists is the various elements of visual design that they create. “Since the beginning of project, we’ve always made a point to prioritize especially original album artwork, music videos, logos, and other visual media.” Says Jack, “Cal has done the lion's share of the visuals from album art to music videos, but we’re very collaborative in conversations about aesthetics, just as we are with music production. It creates a nice balance of work and distribution of responsibilities. We do as much as humanly possible ourselves, and that’s entirely by design. We very much enjoy the authenticity of being self-reliant and adding personal touches so that our listeners might feel that intentionality… It’s quite honestly just as important as the music we’re making, to have that sort of connection with people.”
This is even more-so the case with their upcoming music video for their song “Passin’ Through”, track 1 off of Circles. The new music video is a unique and immersive visual, relying on stop motion photography and claymation, and the brothers hand-sculpted each frame of the film to make it a reality. “The ‘Passin Through’ video is the one thing we’ve undertaken so far that I’ve doubted would turn out like we intended.” Says Cal in regards to filming “I was astounded that it turned out so well. That being said, the hours upon hours of tedious sculpting can really put a strain on your mental wellbeing. Meaning, if it’s anything like our experience, you’ll be an emotional, irritable, bitter vampire by the end of it, but at the end of the day you really have to love what you’re creating because the finished product will always reflect whatever emotions your harboring during filming, I believe that’s true of every medium.” The “Passin Through” video is set to be released on May 14th and is to be followed up by more new music and live performances. Jack and the Other is certainly an act worth following in the coming year. Their EP Circles is available now on all major streaming platforms; and be sure to look out for their upcoming music video, if for no other reason than to validate their laborious efforts. To listen to their music, watch their first music video “E.S.T.”, or stay up-to-date with the duo themselves, on Instagram, Spotify or Youtube.
Duo was featured in recently released Lifoti's June 2019 influencer issue, you can check it from below link's for your country:
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