Here at The Honey POP, we are long-time Jacob Whitesides fans. He has been blessing us with music now for years and years, which made it all the more exciting to get to talk with him. We talked with Jacob about all things relating to his next song ‘Afraid To Die’ and much more. You can pre-save the track to be sure to be one of the first to hear it right here!
Jacob Whitesides, for those of you that don’t know, is a Nashville based singer-songwriter. He’s no stranger to the ups and downs and to the importance of the people that make it all worth while, the fans. He’s got an incredible voice and incredible stories that he’s about to turn into even more incredible songs.
We hope you enjoy our interview with Jacob!
We’re super excited for the release of your new song, ‘Afraid to Die,’ and back in January of 2019 you posted a clip of you singing it, so how long has this project been in the works for you, and what made you decide to release it now?
I’m constantly writing and creating on my own typically with just my guitar sitting in the garage. I love posting snippets as soon as I finish an idea, and see what kind of reaction the song gets. During this pandemic, it’s been kind of hard coming up with new and original ideas. Because I almost always write from personal experiences.
I just haven’t felt super inspired living the same day over and over for the past year. That’s when I’ll dive into some of my older song ideas. It feels so good reopening a snippet from a year ago and bringing it back to life. I think that’s going to be a reoccurring theme this year.
Does ‘Afraid To Die’ come from a personal spot of vulnerability or is it about an overall consensus based on the world we’re living in today?
I would say it definitely came from a personal spot. Most of the music I create is very specific to my story, which is why I tend to write most of it on my own. I never go into creating a song thinking of ways to make it relatable to the general public. I make music to help me get through my situations and to help me better understand what I’m going through.
What was your main inspiration behind the new track, was there a specific event in your life that inspired ‘Afraid To Die’ that you are able to tell us about?
The song is about some serious mental health demons I was fighting, and have been dealing with the majority of my life. It gets bad sometimes, I feel drained, depressed, and like I don’t have the energy to push forward. But then I sit and overthink about the actual thought of dying and it’s terrifying. It’s also difficult when you’re going through something like this trying to not isolate yourself from the world because you don’t want to bring anyone else down to the level you’re at.
What do you hope fans take away from the new track?
I hope they find comfort in knowing they aren’t alone if they’re feeling or have felt the same way as me. It always makes me feel better knowing other people struggle too, and I’m not the only one who has these thoughts.
You’ve been in the music game for a long time, what are some of your favorite parts of the process of releasing new music, and is there any specific step you’ve come to enjoy?
Writing will always be my favorite part of the creative process. I love finding new ways to explain the thoughts that constantly run through my head. I’ve also worked with the same producer my entire career. It’s so comforting knowing I don’t have to stress about what the song is going to sound like. We have such good chemistry it doesn’t take long to bring to life exactly what I’m hearing in my head.
We’ve been fans ever since your ‘You’re Perfect’ days, what would you say is the biggest artistic change you’ve made over the years?
The best thing I ever did was pump the breaks on my career to find out who exactly I wanted to be. I started having success before I even had original music. Which didn’t leave a lot of time to develop and experiment with my sound. When you work so long to achieve a certain level of success, you always want to keep the momentum going because you’re afraid if you stop people will forget about you.
Taking time to stop touring, stop releasing music, and sit in the studio for a while to write and create was the scariest, but the best thing I ever did. I feel like now I have a way better understanding of the kind of artist I want to be. I finally love the music I’m releasing, and it alleviates a lot of pressure. When you’re dropping music that you truly love, you don’t care how many streams it gets. I liked my old music, but I love my new stuff.
And you’re going to be releasing one song every month for the rest of 2021, where did you get this ambitious idea and can we expect an EP or album at the end?
The game is kind of changing when it comes to music releases, and I’m not mad about it. In the past, I would drop an EP/album, and then my fans wouldn’t hear anything new for a year or more. I love the hype around constantly being able to look forward to a new release once a month. It gives everyone something to look forward to. I will say certain songs pair really well together to tell a more full in-depth version of a story. And that’s when I’ll probably put them together for an EP.
So many know the popular Jacob Whitesides and what you share online, but what do you miss the most about that old regular teenager from Tennessee away from the spotlight?
I don’t miss much from that Jacob. I feel more comfortable now than I ever did as a kid. Nostalgia sometimes clouds my ability to remember how tough things were for me growing up. I miss the idea of being a kid and not having as many responsibilities to worry about. But I also feel like the most genuine version of myself now. It helps when you have nothing to hide about who you really are. The version of me that people see online, in my meet and greets, on and on stage is the same person I am when I’m not doing anything music-related.
What would you say to the younger you to prepare yourself for this moment in life?
Be patient, success will come to you in time. You’re not going to have a viral moment, you’re going to work hard and enjoy the journey. Appreciate every little moment along the way no matter how tough things get.
You and your fans have a great relationship on social media. What is your most memorable online interaction you’ve had with one of them? How has JW Nation inspired your career?
One thing that happens when you make music from personal experience, and not to appeal to the masses is you have so much in common with the people who listen to it. We are all going through such similar moments in life. I feel like I have a fan base full of people who truly understand me, and I truly understand them. Almost all my friends that I have in my life now are people I’ve connected with because of my music. I love and trust these people, and not because of what they’ve done to help me get to this point, but because of who they are.
We hoped you enjoyed reading our interview with Jacob Whitesides as much as we enjoyed talking to him! And don’t forget to check out ‘Afraid To Die’ on March 12th! If you’re anything like us and can’t wait you can enjoy this snippet!
We would love to hear from you! What did you think of our interview with Jacob Whitesides? Are you excited for ‘Afraid To Die’? Let us know by commenting down below or tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
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Featured Image Source: Jacob Whitesides Instagram | Bibi Lara
