Q&A: Kid Hastings
WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG AND TRYING - you can make a lot of good stuff. The motivation and genuine caring an artist has when they're starting out is like no other. While only a freshman in college, Jake McEvoy is putting this fresh attitude to work through his musical project, Kid Hastings. Kid Hastings' previous two singles received positive feedback and caught the attention of many for their heartfelt and lo-fi vibe.
The indie artist back with a more groovy track, "Shoulder", that will have you boppin your head in no time. McEvoy is ready to pick up the pace and is currently working on an EP, set to be released late this spring. Make sure to check out his latest single "Shoulder" and read on to hear McEvoy's thoughts on his creative process, his new music and more.
LUNA: Since you’re a newer artist in the scene would you mind introducing yourself? Who is Kid Hastings?
JAKE: Hey! I’m Kid Hastings and I’m a 19 year-old artist and producer born in the UK and raised in NJ, now based in LA.
LUNA: Has your creative process changed at all since you first started making music?
JAKE: Honestly, not all that much. Creativity has always hit me in very potent waves and that’s when I really get inspired and get to work writing and producing. There are some weeks when I physically can’t bring myself to put anything on paper and it gets me pretty down. But when I’m really feeling in it, my writing and sounds all come from very personal stories and experiences.
LUNA: Do you find yourself having a common theme when writing music?
JAKE: Lyrically, I’d have to say a common theme has to be honesty. Writing is a time when I really strive to be honest with myself and, while it’s tough, it’s also very therapeutic and revealing. Musically, I draw pretty heavily from jazz harmony, so you’ll always hear an element of that in my stuff.
LUNA: How does your upcoming single compare to your previous music?
JAKE: I definitely took a more upbeat direction than the two singles I have out right now. Production and writing wise I feel somewhat impressionable and even vulnerable having recently moved to such a new environment. It’s something that’s evident in my sound and it’s something that I’m really excited to see how it continues to develop. With that being said, I pride myself on staying aware of what makes my sound unique and will continue to stay true to that.
LUNA: Are there any artists you tend to reference in your music? Anyone lately you’ve been listening to a lot?
JAKE: While writing and producing “Shoulder,” I’ve been super into tight drum sounds – stuff like Sly & the Family Stone and, more recently, another LA artist Nick Dorian. I was inspired to take a new direction with the groove and I’m really loving it. Another sound that has been more of a constant for me is a lush choir-like background. Something about human voices feels so intimate and familiar to me – artists like Choker and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver are really killing that right now.
LUNA: Do you have any goals for yourself musically this year?
JAKE: Not much else than continuing to stay to true to my own musical vision and communicating it the best way I can. All I can say is that there’ll be a lot more music in 2019 to come.
LUNA: What do you want people to take away from your music?
JAKE: Ideally, I want people to leave with a sense of familiarity. A sense that they’ve seen a little into who I am and can maybe resonate to the same sentiments. The lyrics I write are very evocative to me of strong emotions and to be able to communicate that to someone else feeling a similar way is all I could ever ask for.
