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Resident musician, senior Jake Kulak made his radio debut on April 29 where his singles “Better” and “How much Longer Can I Last” were played live.
Gavin, a radio host from Kiss95.7 was lucky enough to do a podcast with the talented vocalist and multifaceted instrumentalist and learn all about Kulak’s singing/songwriting process, his new record and his influences. The musician has been singing and playing guitar and piano since early childhood. He has also played gigs at bars, restaurants and hot music spots all around New England for years. He’s even traveled to Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, Norway and Kansas to play.
“It was such a great experience [being on the radio show] and I got really great reactions from my family and friends who listened to the podcast,” Jake said.
The two covered topics ranging from how Jake writes his music, to where he wants to go with his career. “I guess music- wise I want to take it as far as I can go, with the goal of being a financially stable performer,” he said. “As far as influences go we [Gavin and I] were talking about a lot of the guys that got me into music like Jack White, Jimmy Hendrix, Sly Stone, Eddie Hazel, Eric Clapton,” he said.
In regards to his writing process, Jake said when a song comes organically and really fast, it’s usually one of the better ones. All of his new singles will be on one record, set to come out this summer and Jake said the recording process has been fun, “Recording this record has been really fun and I’ve gotten to focus on a project that I feel passionately about,” he said. “It’s hard though because I’m a perfectionist when it comes to the songs so I spend a lot of time making sure the mix and instrumentation is exactly how I want.”
Being a perfectionist also makes it difficult for him to listen to his album once it’s finished, he told Gavin.“That also makes it hard listening to the album because I never truly feel satisfied with the finished product. Everything on the album was recorded by me and the guy who produced it, so I had a lot more creative freedom while working on it which makes me feel the pressure for it [the album] to be perfect,” Jake said.
Every song has a meaning, and listeners will definitely get that vibe when hearing each song. “I think it’s all about capturing the human experience,” Jake said, “and for me that experience is getting ready to leave home and really just trying to decide who I want to be as a person, and I think a lot of that comes through in the lyrics of the songs.” The type of songs you can expect on the album have a soft rock and pop sound to it.
If you weren’t able to catch the podcast live, you can check it out on the iheart radio app or online to hear Jake talk about his experience and new music. “I loved doing the interview and I’m also planning on doing another one with them when the album is officially out in June,” Jake said.
