Photo Credit: Pat Ryder (@patryderr)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // April 21, 2021
Jayde may be a mastermind when it comes to crafting melancholic music, but how she manages to bring us so much joy and comfort through her sorrowful songwriting remains a mystery. What’s important to note about this rising artist is that she pours her entire heart and soul into her music, and it certainly shows. With swirling electronics juxtaposed by slow burning lyricism, Jayde’s stunning debut EP, sad songs about sad things, is finally yours for the taking.
On sad songs about sad things, Jayde shared,
“I wanted to make something that both embraced the sadness, while simultaneously reminding us that as much as happiness can be a fleeting moment, so is every other emotion and feeling. What I mean by this, is some day we will forget why we were sad, what we were worried about, what kept us up at night. ‘sad songs about sad things’ embraces the sadness, in hopes that we are closing that chapter and moving forward to a new array of emotions and experiences.”
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Jayde about personal stories, her amazing supporters, and of course, sad songs about sad things.
HH: What we love so much about you is that you’ve created your own signature sound that’s become somewhat of an experience rather than just something we listen to. What inspires your creative approach?
J: Oh my goodness… that’s so sweet, thank you! I would honestly say the biggest factor in my creative process is my own life and emotions. I have a really hard time writing about things I haven’t personally experienced, so I would say that the majority of the approach is just me going through life and pulling emotions from experiences and then making it a song.
HH: It’s been a long time coming, but your debut EP is finally out in the world! How does it feel to know that everyone can now listen to your deeply personal stories?
J: You know, it’s actually really wild because I have gotten a few messages from people telling me that they saw themselves in this project and how they feel as though I have captured all of their emotions in a few songs. I feel like once the songs are out, they become less about my personal stories and more about the listeners and their stories. So to be honest, I don’t really think about the fact that my personal stories are being listened to; I just think about how other people are putting themselves in the songs. It’s definitely less scary at that angle.
HH: sad songs about sad things gives us exactly what we’d expect. What do you hope listeners will take away from this EP?
J: At the end of the day, I just hope people listen and can connect their lives to the songs and feel comforted knowing that they are not the only ones feeling that way or the only one who has gone through that specific situation.
HH: What’s your advice for people who are currently feeling down in the dumps? What do you tell yourself when you’re sad?
J: I would say talk to your friends and family… A lot of times when I’m upset, I will try to hold it to myself and not talk about it – but that never works out and I usually feel a lot better about things once I have talked to someone about how I am feeling. So if I were to give any advice about what to do when you’re sad, it would be to talk to the people you love.
HH: What was your favorite memory from shooting the “f this” music video?
J: There are so many… I would say my top memory would be when we were filming the dining room scene where we have every version of myself flashing in and out with the strobe lighting. We had to do five or six quick changes, full hair and makeup as well. It was 3 a.m. while we were filming it and my hair/makeup/wardrobe team and I were in overdrive while our producer and director were like, “How much more time do you need?! We need you in two minutes!” It was stressful in the moment, but super funny looking back on it.
HH: Needless to say, your music has resonated with so many people around the world. Did you ever expect listeners would be able to connect with your songwriting like they do?
J: I don’t know that I expected it, rather than hoped people would connect. At the end of the day, I am just writing about basic human experiences that I feel as though most people go through. That being said, the amount of people that connect with it still blows my mind on the daily and I’m so grateful.
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would you pick?
J: I would really love to be in a session with Lorde… Her writing is just beyond my comprehension. I would just love to see the writing process and how she creates.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
HH: “love me or not” by Alexander Wesley
“Me Forever” by OSTON
“Honey” by Majo
The Hidden Hits 