Emerging Hawke’s Bay artist JAKE makes an almighty splash today with the release of his debut single, ‘Waiting List’ - a sublime slice of chill R’n’B-infused indie pop, with a hip-hop twist.
All about being stuck in that “zone in the middle where you can’t let go of the past but you can’t move on'', ‘Waiting List is a relatable song for our times, with an effortlessly cool delivery and a sexy switch up. “You’re stuck on a waiting list, waiting for someone or something to fix your problems,” explains JAKE (AKA Jake Murphy). “It also relates to the current space the world is in at the moment, as I think a lot of us feel stuck in the middle of waiting for life to get back to normal and how it once was, and we’re unsure what the future looks like.”
‘Waiting List’ was produced and mixed by the award-winning Simon Gooding, who JAKE first teamed up with at APRA’s inaugural Hawke’s Bay Songhubs in late 2020. This led to Simon and JAKE working together again in 2021, when Simon received NZOA’s Artist Development Fund, aimed at pairing producers with emerging artists.
“Simon and I spent about five days in the studio together - three days creating six or so demos and the next two days refining the stronger ideas. With ‘Waiting List’ we made a few different versions and decided to blend two of those to make the track we have now,” says JAKE.
The song is accompanied by a gritty video shot by award-winning director Connor Pritchard.
“I was in Auckland recording with Simon and saw that Connor had posted on Instagram that he had a few slots coming up, so I flicked him a message and he said ‘Let’s do it!” We shot the whole thing in a few hours as the sun started to set. It’s just me with the backdrop of the city. I think it captures the vibe conveyed in the song very well - cruisy but also a little moody, with an element of surprise that you’ll hear half way through where the beat switches up.”
‘Waiting List’ is the launch pad for an exciting few months ahead for JAKE. Watch this space for more music to come!
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