Doing It for Yourself: On Jake Ratelle's New Single "Take" and Making It on Your Own in the Scene
Jake Ratelle
We spend our lives trying to figure out what really ignites our desires and passions. What keeps us moving, what makes us get up every morning to greet the day when at times we are tapped out mentally and physically and would much rather be sleeping in bed. But once we find our calling, there is nothing that stops us from reaching the doors we want to open for the dreams we set out to accomplish.
But what happens when that dream happens to be a solo career in music? It's a daunting task and a journey in the scene when you're not in a band. It’s a different sort of struggle both internally and externally, yet the passion burns fiercely the same for both. For some, it's a way to prove to the world and to themselves that they can achieve and exceed the expectation of what a band can offer with just one person. No one said this was the easiest of efforts to undertake, but for a solo artist like Jake Ratelle, they are willing to risk it all to prove that they can.
His new single, "Take," not only shows he has the chops to make it on his own but the instrumental finesse as well that it takes to make a great single, and maybe down the line, a record. While "Take" has all the fine makings of a well-established piece of music in the scene, the lyrical value alone is what drives the track forward to another level of beatitude that will leave listeners awestruck. Though the solo artist is just getting his feet wet on the scene, Jake Ratelle is sure to be well-known soon enough within the years to come. The independent act is here with Scene Daddy to talk about his new single and what life has been like as a new solo act in the scene.
What made you want to start on the track to becoming a musician? What was the scene like when you started to make music?
My two best friends and I grew up started playing instruments and being in bands when we were young. We were playing our first shows in our small town when we were 12-14, and it has just been something I’ve always done since then. I was in a few bands throughout high school and college, and no matter how stressful, it was still my favorite thing to do. Playing music has always ever been the one thing I wanted to do with my time. The scene when I started getting into music and playing shows were so fun and immersive, which is why I have always wanted to be a part of it, and I hope that once COVID is finally over it’s going to be even better.
What are your musical influences? How did they make it's way into your single "Take"?
I was writing a lot right when COVID first hit, and during peak quarantine, I was listening to a lot of music I never really got the chance to because we all had so much more free time than usual. My biggest influences for my solo stuff during that time were Landon Tewers, Julien Baker, and Casey Bolles. For music in general, I like when records are a cohesive collection of different kinds of songs. Listening to music like that front to back is just so fulfilling and interesting every time.
There are four records especially I was listening to a lot of at the time were the newest records by The Used, Loathe, Enter Shikari, and The Wonder Years. All four of those records have so much depth to them. I want to shoot for a similar kind of feeling with all of my releases going forward. “Take” was the song I decided was a good place to start for it.
I know you are new as a solo artist, but do you ever feel the pressures of being a solo act as opposed to being in a band? How are you approaching those challenges?
Jake Ratelle “Take” Single Art
It’s definitely two very different kinds of nerve-wracking and difficult. Band stuff was always tough because it was a collective vision, so there was a lot that went into even the smallest of decisions. But for me being in a band was more in my comfort zone, I could kind of hide behind the other members and the bands' image itself. Being by myself, there’s a lot less time spent making decisions and everything is up to me.
For me, it’s super daunting and stressful creating something that is based solely on your vision and effort, but so far it’s been very rewarding. My biggest challenge with this from the start has just been me getting in my own way, and not believing in myself enough to do anything to get it started. My best resource for trying to get over that is to just share what I make with people I trust both inside and out of the music world, and hearing their feedback. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way for me to move forward with things productively and excitingly.
What do you bring to the scene that you feel is needed or hasn't been tapped into yet?
I feel like within the scene the past few years, we’ve been super fortunate to have a lot of really great bands putting out great records. I don’t know many people from the scene that I grew up in trying to do a solo thing like this. A lot of the times my favorite track from a band will be outside of their usual sound, and oftentimes a little more minimalist. I just want to try and make a whole project with that same sort of theme, but not start a whole new band. Connecting with a band is easy because there’s a lot to them, but I’ve always felt when I like a solo artist, the connection I feel to the music is a little more sincere.
I want to talk about the single a bit. Where are you coming from lyrically with this?
Lyrically this song is supposed to have a kind of hopeful or encouraging meaning. At face value, the song is essentially about making peace with knowing something and it can’t be what you want it to be, for both personal and external faults. So it’s definitely sad and emotional, but in an accepting and retrospective way for me.
I write my lyrics in a way though where I try to let the listener get what they need to from listening to the words, not push them too much in any given direction. No one feels any given emotions in the same way, so I like to try and play on that rather than making a song about a certain instance or relationship. I find that way of writing a little more limiting when people are trying to connect with it for the first time.
This is a beautifully done track that really consumes your auditory senses when you listen to it. There's so much depth and sound within those guitar strings and energy within your vocals in "Take." What was the recording process like for this single?
The recording process was a little intimidating for this song. In the past when I’ve recorded, I’ve had people there with me to bounce ideas off and collaborate on, but this time it was all on me which is not a feeling I do super well with. I get uncomfortable and in my own head a lot, especially if something isn’t coming out how I want it to. Luckily my producer Jared Wisner is super calm and encouraging, and he helps a lot with navigating my uncertainties.
Initially, the song didn’t have that kind of build-in the bridge, but after the first take of vocals, we realized the song was a little too linear without giving it an extra vocal push. My vision going into it was letting the guitar and lyrics be the focal point within the song, and trying to avoid any sort of loud vocals. I couldn’t be happier with the decision we made though, it gives the song more levels of sincerity and emotion, which is always ultimately the goal.
What do you want others to take from your first single?
I’ve always said that if anyone feels anything or connects in any way to music I put out, I consider it a success. I try and make it as easy as I can for people to feel what they need to when listening to any song I write because for me that’s the best thing when listening to any music. Finding comfort or relation in something during a tough time can make all of the difference, and that’s why I write the style of music I do.
This single was meaningful to me because I knew I needed to prove to myself I could do it. I wanted to also kind of force myself to come out of hiding. The responses I got from people close to me and people I had never met after the release were all over the map are all special for me to see.
What are your plans this year moving forward?
This year I’ll be releasing a new song every few months, treating each single like a big unique release. I hope to have four or five singles out by the end of this year. I’ll see what works and what doesn’t. From there I'll decide how to move forward for a longer release early next year.
I’m just finishing up the video for my next song “Skin”, so I hope to have that out in the next couple of months. With COVID, I haven’t thought about playing live at any point yet. I think that side of the music world is going to be a little different when things get back to normal, and when I see what it’s like, I’ll make plans for live shows and such.