Music has become so many different things for so many different people. That is the beauty of music. It becomes whatever the creator or listener want it to be. Our new friend Jess Yaffa takes this to heart and has new music coming soon to show off.
We had a chance to chat with the singer/songwriter to get deeper into her emotional songwriting. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, what is it that draws you to creating original music?
Writing songs has always been therapeutic for me. It helps me get through confusing, exciting, disappointing, and eventful times in my life. I love creating original music because it makes me genuinely happy but also, I like having a community of people who have felt the same way that I have and can relate to the lyrics in the song. It’s a unique experience that’s humanizing and creating art from that makes me want to do it every day for the rest of my life.
How would you describe the Jess Yaffa sound?
My sound is a smooth blend of acoustic and synthesized melodies. The acoustic gives the sound grounding while the synths add a layer of personality that brings excitement to the music that I make. Its pop but with a touch of an alternative sound that makes it more intimate which fosters a connection between my sound and the people listening to it.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you?
This is such a hard question for me to answer because so many artists have inspired me in so many different ways. I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen through my dad which influenced a lot of how I tell stories through my songs as well as a lot of Rap and R&B music through my mom. Florence and the Machine and Maggie Rogers are two artists that have had huge influences on me not just because of their amazing songwriting and songs but from their aura as well and how they carry themselves, which I believe to be an important part in being an artist.
How does a song come together for you? Share your songwriting process.
My notes app is filled with random lines and phrases that come to me at different parts of the day. Usually, the lyrics come to me first and sometimes I can sit down and write a song in about 20 minutes because the feelings and words are flowing well. Other times, I’ll write a verse or a chorus and then let it sit until I come up with other parts to the song that resonate. A big part of my songwriting process happens at around 2 in the morning and I wrote a majority of the songs from my current EP in the middle of the night.
Jess Yaffa Tells Us About ‘Taylor
Your new single “Taylor” has some pure pop energy! Tell us about making the music video.
The music video shoot for “Taylor” was an amazing day. I drove to Dumbo in Brooklyn with my mom at around 8am and met up with the spectacular Natalia Arango who filmed and edited the video. We walked around Dumbo and shot some really great clips that involved a lot of the street art around the city and ended up at a cafe where I had one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my entire life. What was amazing about Brooklyn early in the morning was that it was a beautiful day and so peaceful that it felt like we were the only ones there which was a cool feeling. Next, we walked over the Brooklyn bridge and it was not only a fun walk, but the view was beautiful. The second portion of the video was filmed in Central Park and involved a lot of singing and lying on the grass and the flow of making the video felt easy. I really enjoyed collaborating with Natalia on this project as well as my video for “Too Soon” because we truly see eye to eye creatively.
We hear you have a new EP coming soon. What can you tell us about it?
“Thoughts that keep me up at night” is a representation of my transition from high school to college and all of the random thoughts that have kept me tossing and turning at night. I wrote the songs mostly in the middle of the night as a way to get through how I was feeling during each moment. Each song embodies anxiety, unsureness, happiness, love, dreams, and frustration, which are all very common feelings during that stage of someone’s life. Although I wrote these songs because of life experiences that I had, the feelings that they hold are relatable to all people. The thoughts and anxieties that roll around in your brain that you can’t ever seem to get rid of are real and complex. They manifest in everyday tasks and conversations, keeping you up tossing and turning. All of these songs were written around 2am and represent particular moments that have kept me up at night.
How do you hope to connect with the listeners of your music?
I hope to connect with my listeners through the stories that I tell because the feelings that I write about are not exclusive to myself. My hope with this upcoming EP is that every person can find an aspect of any of these songs that makes them feel like they’re not alone. It’s important to build a community around topics that people don’t often speak about. Things that you might find trivial or decisions that you may have made are probably shared by many other people. Hopefully, people can find solace in knowing that they have someone who has shared the same moments, stress, happiness, and/or love that someone else has. I hope that everyone can relate to something within one of these songs.
Give us a look at the future of Jess Yaffa.
As of right now, I’m going to finish college in 2023 and get my degree but I am going to be playing shows and writing a lot more music in my future. I want to be able to do what I love every day for a living and make other people happy and feel loved through music. I want my future to have a community in it that appreciates my music and play a lot of great concerts for them. My next goal is to write an album that’s comprised of songs that I have written throughout the pandemic and how drastically things have been felt and changed. Overall, I’m just excited to enter my twenties and step out of my comfort zone and form really strong and deep connections with people.
Keep up with Jess Yaffa on her WEBSITE.
