Recent graduate and talented musician, Jake Kulak ‘18, has recorded a music video for the lead song on his debut album titled “Get Faded (and Go),” which will be out to the public on Oct. 19th. The album is very diverse, ranging from alternative rock to blues driven songs. “The music reflects what I was going through and how I was feeling at that point in my life (growing up and moving on from high school and into a new chapter),” Jake said.
Jake is also not the only talented member of his family. His sister, junior Juliana Kulak, designed the cover art for the album. “I spent many hours over the course of the summer working on different album cover designs, and then the designs of the insides of the hard copy,” she said. “I made a bunch of different versions and it was a lot of hard work but I’m really happy with how the art turned out.” Jake agreed, “I love how the cover turned out, she did a great job,” he said.
During the music video making process, Jake worked alongside acclaimed director Scott Rosenbaum, who previously directed an award-winning music documentary called “Sidemen: Long Road to Glory,” as well as cinematographer Brian McAward, whom he met while filming was being done for “Sidemen” in Clarksdale, Miss. Jake appeared in a promotional segment for the documentary.
The video is professionally made and boasts of close shots of Jake singing into the camera with his band playing enthusiastically behind him, as well as picturesque scenes of him and UConn student Kaitlyn Smith, who plays the love interests walking together in nature.
“We started out working in the Dumbo area of Brooklyn and we got street shots and shots of the New York skyline,” Jake said, “Then we got in a jeep and headed down the highway and got some shots on the road going into Queens.” The in-studio shots of Jake singing and facing the camera were done in Long Island, after that shooting then moved to Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
On the second and final day of shooting, Rosenbaum, McAward, and Jake headed to beautiful Sherman, Conn. on the border of New York, to finish the rest of the video. A drone was used to film the shots of him playing guitar on the cliff face located at Lover’s Leap State Park in New Milford.
“It was awesome filming in Sherman because it’s a very hilly town, lots of open park areas with beautiful scenery,” Jake said. “It definitely was the feel I wanted for the video.”
“Overall for this album I think my hope is that people enjoy it and can relate with who I was when I recorded it,” he added. “This entire process has been a dream come true and I’m so excited to see what happens on the 19th!” The KO News speaks on behalf of the school when we say we are so proud and excited to hear the album.
Here is the link to official music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0cryvOh79I
Spotify link.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6UKupvShP8NU2BQYLZPJ0P?si=2Fyx6cV6RqWwMdLRbJK6Hg