Jake Whiskin - “Joyride (home demo)”

Photo: Matt Molson

For listeners seeking the raw, lovely, and bare bones sound of home recording, look no further than Leeds-based songwriter and storyteller Jake Whiskin. Whiskin was retrieved from our stack of submissions with his new, heartfelt release, entitled “Joyride (home demo).”

This track is everything that we love about indie-folk craftsmanship as it does not pretend to be more than it actually is and, by doing so, becomes the center of everything. Pressing play on this song will deliver the experience of Whiskin performing in the same room of wherever you are in this world. There are absolutely no fancy, big-budget antics occurring in this track and the vocals will immediately conjure the likes of Sufjan Stevens in their softly and tenderly doubled delivery. The melody will allow you to reminisce about the days when the only thing on your calendar was, perhaps, the sweet escape of driving along the highway, listening to music with the people closest to you, all while having the windows rolled down. This song is a magnificent musical getaway– the kicker is that the song, itself, is about escapism.

After hearing “Joyride (home demo),” we dd not want to stop listening to Whiskin’s work, so we checked out his live version of “Long Way Home,” which was officially released in September. Upon doing so, we’re completely convinced that his latest track is no fluke– Whiskin is the real deal. His music is not choked by excessive production and he does not need a single drop of autotune. Ladies and gentlemen, we have found one of our new favorite artists. Press play and you are bound to find the same.

-TM