We get to hear from new up and coming artist Jayme Graves today! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. You have a new single out. This song seems deeply personal. Did you write it?
Thank you so, so much for having me. I’m so excited to talk to you about “Melancholy Friend.” Yes, I wrote it myself during the Omicron variant outbreak. The pandemic has hit me hard and I really struggled with figuring out how to cope with it. The day I wrote the first couple of verses, I felt just utterly overwhelmed. I had just gotten off of a Zoom meeting and was just feeling overwhelmed with all the work we had to do despite living in the middle of a pandemic.
We got a little bit of hope this past summer once vaccines were being widely distributed and the numbers were going down but then they immediately went back up. Everyone I knew was still preaching about “getting back to normal,” and I was sitting there just feeling absolutely distraught still – and feeling horrible about it!
The day I wrote the first few verses it was beautiful outside, so I was beating myself up for not enjoying it and feeling grateful for it. But it’s ok to be the sad, “melancholy friend,” even if everyone around you is telling you to perk up and shake it off. It’s not that easy.
What is it like for you when you record music? Do you prefer a more quiet chill vibe or do you love high energy?
A little bit of both! It definitely depends on the song, but in the writing process I find that I need to be alone. The quiet really helps me focus and connect with what I’m writing about, so I need that time to just be with myself and the environment I’m in.
When I’m in the studio, however, I love the excitement of making the song come to life. You spend a lotttt of time there too, so it’s good to be with high energy people that make the time go by faster! Nate Stoll, an engineer I’m working with for another song, jumped in with me to do some gang vocals for a song! We just yelled our hearts out. I love that kind of energy.
Do you have any artists you would like to do a collab with?
Wow, so many. The Warning, Meet Me at the Altar, Against the Current, Hayley Williams, the list goes on. I’m inspired by these amazing women and non-binary folks in rock music, and I’m so excited there’s a revival of the pop-punk genre going on.
What stories do you want to tell in the music you put out?
When I was a teenager, rock music was all I had sometimes. I’d listen to all these emo/pop-punk bands that actually talked about struggle and didn’t try to sugarcoat it. Those artists aren’t afraid to name the things that lurk in the dark. In fact, they crawl to the dark side to understand the ugly parts of ourselves. I hope to do the same thing, and let others know that you can be loud about that part of yourself too. All of who you are deserves space and celebration. Even sadness and pain have a greater purpose and deserve that attention.
Do you plan to release a video for this song too?
Mayyyybe! 🙂 This song is my baby, so I feel like I’ll have all the videos, photos etc, but stay tuned on my instagram for more info about upcoming releases!
We can’t wait for everyone to hear this song – tell them where to find it and YOU!
Of course, of course! You can find me on instagram (@jayme__graves) and on tiktok (@jaymegraves). Or you can sign up for my mailing list at my website: jaymegraves.com. “Melancholy Friend” is available now on all platforms!
Thanks so much for having me!
End of Interview