By Carter Kucier, ‘23 staff writer
VALE Record’s current artist, Jake!, released a new single, “Crash Into Me,” in mid-October.
Jake Nguyen has been working with VALE, LVC’s student-run record label, after being selected through VALE’s yearly artist auditions last spring.
“So far, the process with VALE has gone smoother than I thought it would,” the sophomore music education major said. “There were still a few bumps in the road, but I was still satisfied with the product.”
Nguyen also discussed how his time with VALE has influenced him as an artist and opened his eyes to new possibilities.
“A lot of the music I write is more often than not, written for voice and guitar only,” Nguyen said. “So, it was really cool to see how the song can evolve and incorporate other instruments as well.”
Nguyen expressed being very pleased with how VALE’s production team handled the mixing and mastering for this new single. He also shared a bit about his inspiration behind the song, stating that it discusses how everyone will experience difficult times.
“The important part is that we learn and grow from the experience,” Nguyen said. “Then, in my instance, I was trying to prove to someone what I was learning to be better and, with time, was trying to earn back their trust. Hence the lyric, ‘Darling don’t you worry just crash into me.’”
After his time as VALE artist comes to an end, Jake does plan to continue to make music for his own enjoyment. He is unsure if he will continue to share those future works.
“I’d like to keep creating because it’s really cool to have something that’ll be around longer than I will,” Nguyen said. “I will always be thankful for the opportunities that VALE has given me, but for the time being, my desire for performing is not as great as it was in years past,”
Nguyen’s single, as well as his full EP, “Catawissa,” is available on BandCamp. This single can be downloaded for free. For a limited time, the full EP can be downloaded for free. Donations are encouraged but not required for purchase.