The spirit that LA based Singer/Songwriter Rich Jacques has been spreading through his music is powerful yet simple and direct. Breathe in, revel and let go. It is clear after listening to his latest album ‘Joy follows like a shadow that never leaves” that the joy we all seek is found within the very peaks and valleys of our own journey.
Hey Rich Jacques, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Thank you.
Well when I was 11, living in Wisconsin, my neighborhood friends and I became obsessed with mtv and decided to start a band. Drums, bass, and keys were already spoken for by my older friends so by default I was to be the guitarist. I went out right away with my mom and got an electric guitar… I was so excited. Within a week everyone got distracted by other things and lost interest. But I fell in love with the guitar and spent a ridiculous amount of time in my room learning to play.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Hmm, maybe Adele. I feel like we would write a great song.
Your new EP is ‘Everything Must Change’. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
It was very piecemeal. Most of it was written and recorded over the pandemic, so half was zoom, and parts were me going to friend’s studios in LA… with the exception of “New design.” That had been written and started to be recorded at a writing camp in France with my friends Chris Kalla and Rachél Louise. I highly recommend going to a beautiful place in the French countryside and writing songs with your friends.
It usually happens that I’ll have a bunch of song seeds and parts lying around, and every now and then I’ll take a listen. There always seems to be a certain time window when things start to make sense and a focus starts to happen and I jump in and get everything down while I can… and that becomes a record.
What are you focusing on right now?
Right now, split between promoting this record and always writing for the next.
What makes you the happiest?
I love being in the creative zone and you know you have something special. All time and space disappears.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
The hardest part for me is self promotion. Back in the day, an artist could focus on being an artist… and there were managers, labels, lawyers, and PR people.
Now we have to be good at all of it and wear all the hats.
How do you structure your day?
I’m not sure I do 😉
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Meditation and spirituality has been a huge part of my life. I’ve had some mystical experiences in my life starting when I was 5. Once that door is opened, it has a way of constantly charming your attention.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Ha! Every now and then… And it’s always very random.
What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to start doing some shows again this fall. I haven’t done any since before the pandemic… Would love to see this EP start to find a wider audience.