Teachers are forever the heroes of our communities for not only educating the future minds of the world but also for changing lives in ways they likely never suspected. Take Jake & Mikayla for instance. We’ll get into how a music teacher changed the trajectory of their lives in a second, and after that, we’ll get into this country duo’s latest, ‘Roots,’ small-town appreciation, and more in this back-and-forth exchange.
Kendra: Music has played an integral part in your relationship thus far, but if we took a time machine back to when you met – was it over music? Were you each musicians before you met, or did coming together bring that out of you both?
Jake: When I was a senior in high school, I started a band. We decided since we were playing country music that we needed a fiddle player. Mikayla was recommended by a local music teacher. She was 16 at the time and lived an hour south of where I lived. She tried out and made it into the band (Of Course). A year later we went to prom together and started dating. A year after that we got married! I was 20 and she was 18 when we got married. We have grown so much as people and musicians since then and we are so blessed to be sharing the same goals and love of music.
Kendra: When it comes to your 2023 release, ‘Roots,’ a lot is going on within the confines of that record. You two really know how to balance everything from the moods each song evokes to the styles you deliver. Did you each grow up with a varied musical collection of influences?
Mikayla: We both grew up listening to a lot of the same music. Jake grew up spending a lot of time with his grandparents, who listened to the music of the ’50s and ’60s, such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and The Beatles. My Parents listened to a lot of gospel music, as well as bluegrass. We both shared a strong love for Country music growing up as well. We tried to incorporate all of these styles into this project, and I believe it truly does show our “Roots” musically!
Kendra: Now I think that one of the biggest indicators of our roots is food. With that, what regional cuisine would you say would be best served while listening to ‘Roots’ and why?
Mikayla: That might be hard because we are both picky eaters! One thing we love to do during warmer months is sit by a fire outside and listen to music. I think this is the perfect record to listen to while sitting by a campfire, and what better meal for that than hotdogs and smores!
Kendra: Listening to the album, I couldn’t help but gravitate towards “Good People” because while the world has never been all rainbows and sunshine, it felt different back in the ‘80s and ‘90s like more communal in neighborhoods and whatnot. So I liked this being a musical reminder that there’s still good out there. Of course, it’s easy to sort of guess what inspired this track – but was there a last straw, a final headline in the news that made you pick up a pen and write this one?
Jake: This was actually the first song we wrote on the project, and it was actually before we had planned on doing this record. Our lead guitar player brought us this song, and I absolutely loved the idea. I think there is so much hate and division everywhere we look. And sometimes I get to where I lose hope in this world, but then I will be reminded by an act of kindness or a smiling face, that there IS hope in this broken world. And I think it is so important for us to be that good person, that smiling face, because we never know what people are going through, and it’s the best thing we can do to make this world a better place.
Kendra: Your music also shows love for the small towns in our country, and I love that. I’m from a tiny, non-existent dot on the map – and having moved across the country and driven through those smaller areas – it’s wild that they’re so often ignored because they’re so quaint and rather beautiful. Do you have any favorite small towns you love to stop in when you head from Illinois to Nashville?
Mikayla: Seems like we don’t get a chance to really stop and visit other towns during our trips to Nashville. We sure love when we get to Nashville and have special places and restaurants we like to visit, but we also love it when we get back home to our town of Casey, IL. As you know, there’s no place quite like home, and we love our little town.
Kendra: Speaking of Illinois, you’re from there and have a show there in March 2024. Are there plans to get out on the road more after that?
Jake: Yes! We will be having a full schedule this year. As you mentioned we are playing a show supporting American Idol Alum, Alex Miller in March. But we have been hard at work booking more shows across the state of Illinois as well as stops in Missouri, Michigan, and Tennessee. Make sure to check out our schedule at jakeandmikayla.com!
Kendra: Time for a side note – With it being January and us all starting a new year, I’d love to know what non-musical resolution you have set for yourself?
Mikayla: One of our non-musical resolutions for this year is to get out more. Since we are always working and traveling, we don’t make much time for just going out and meeting friends. I really miss that. So I am making that a priority this year!
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Roots’ out now and a show already on the books, what else can fans be on the lookout for as we get into 2024?
Jake & Mikayla: NEW MUSIC! We have spent (and are spending) this cold season writing new songs, working up new material, and of course recording! We have a few songs in the works that we can’t wait to release. Be on the lookout!
