Almost every show Greg Jacquin has played this year has been for a New York crowd, and he’ll soon kick off another string of dates in Brooklyn on April 18th at Hotel RL. Being in and around NYC can be a little disheartening though as people are always coming and going.
While some could let it get to them, Greg Jacquin found some inspiration from it and penned a song from his latest release, Clocks Slow Down, all about it. A simple drive staring at the window made him think, “Who are these strangers in my town?” and later another tune was born. Fans will get to hear “All These Strangers” and more when Greg hits the road once again in mid-April, but first – find out more about the singer-songwriter in this east meets west back and forth.
Kendra: Being that Hudson River got so much love when it dropped, did you feel any sort of undeniable pressure when it came time to write and record its follow up?
Greg Jacquin: I was very excited to get back into the studio especially after getting such a great response to the EP. I already had about half the songs written so we started the recording and I finished writing the songs while we were tracking. It was great working with Fred Gillen Jr. at Woody’s House in Croton, NY.
Kendra: There’s a lot of pain to be felt and heard throughout Clocks Slow Down. You find occasional moments of comedic relief tossed in there though. Do you feel like musicians and comedians are the same in that regard? Able to take the saddest of things and turn them into relatable and enjoyable pieces?
Greg Jacquin: Absolutely! I feel like a lot of artists create their work to help them deal with pain, loss or emotions that maybe they don’t have the normal tools to deal with that most people have. I feel like entertainers often find their inspiration the dark places and sometimes that can translate into something beautiful.
Kendra: Speaking of comedians and laughter, “Jim Carrey.” Not a topic we hear sung about every day. Sadly, because he’s amazing. Anyways, if you had to duet with one Jim Carrey character on this track, which would it be?
Greg Jacquin: Oh wow. Probably Truman from The Truman Show. He has made so many great movies. I chose to write about Jim Carrey because besides being a huge fan of all his work but also having a little knowledge of his life of everything he’s been through, he’s still able to make us laugh. His latest show Kidding is brilliant and his art is amazing.
Kendra: You are on and off the road throughout May. All over on the east coast. When do you think you’ll head west?
Greg Jacquin: The plan is to head out west right after this tour and to spend as much time out on the road in support of the album as possible.
Kendra: We talked about Hudson River but what about Free the Freak? When you made that record did you ever think you’d still be a working musician 17 years down the road?
Greg Jacquin: Free The Freak was an album I made a long time ago. It’s very different than the songs that I write today. I’m still very proud of it. To be honest, I never imagined I’d be doing anything besides music in my life. I took some breaks to have a family and try a career but music has always been calling me.
Kendra: What do you attribute that long-lasting creative drive to?
Greg Jacquin: My creative drive is fueled by the need to express my feelings and emotions. It just so happens that I write songs.
Kendra: Other than the upcoming dates, let the people know what you have going on!
Greg Jacquin: I have a music video set for release for the song “Highways & Hotels” featuring Sarah Browne and filmed at the amazing and beautiful Tarrytown Music Hall. I also have a few songs already written for the next album. I can’t wait to start work on it.