Two years after finding his new sound, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jake Huffman will debut his solo project at Lower East Side venue Mercury Lounge on Tuesday, August 10th. The performance follows the release of his new single “Just a Little More,” due out on August 6th. The performance will not only be Huffman’s solo debut, but also his first post-pandemic show, following a period of songwriting and refocusing over 2020-21.
Jake Huffman is best known as the drummer and lead singer for McLovins, a role he started at the age of 14, when a video of he and his bandmates performing Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself” went viral. The group would continue to play for nearly 10 years, garnering a strong fan base and leading Huffman to work as a composer and lyricist for Sesame Street, as well as performances with Blink-182, Jack White and Post Malone, and written dozens of songs for artist likes Ed Sheeran and Leon Bridges.
When COVID-19 hit and the music industry shut down, Huffman hunkered down in his studio and went back to college, getting a Certificate in Music Producation from Berkelee School of Music in Boston. Taking time to dive into his studio work, Huffman wrote about 50 tunes over 2020-21 because he was locked in, both physically (not being able to go outside) and mentally (focused on writing 6-7 hours a day), in addition to teaching music lessons remotely four days a week.
Huffman’s writing flows into an Indie rock/Indie pop mindset, with influence from early 2000’s alt-rock, combined with deeply personal lyrics reflecting on specific moments, with some left open to interpretation. The needs of a band can change from month to month, making it a journey for individual and group personalities. That’s where his head has been since McLovins called it a day.
It’s hard to be in a band for a long time, especially for Jason (Ott, bassist) and me, who were playing together in bands for 10 years. Then a lot of shit hit at the right time, and broke everything. All of us are probably better people because of it. I loved all the time and music and the people I met through McLovins. That’s what I’ve been writing about. At times I wasn’t sure what to write about, so some is ambiguous and some relates to that. The new music relates to the journey with McLovins.
Jake Huffman
When Jake got the call for the Mercury Lounge show on August 10, he was overcome with joy. Planning for an Indie rock vibe, he’ll bring a new set up – Huffman cites the influence of Milky Chance in the stage set up – so as to avoid feeling too stiff for the performance. Jake will be behind the kit, playing guitar, and singing throughout, offering a fresh look at a musician who had been cast into the spotlight since his sophomore year of high school. With his single releasing on August 6, expect to hear “Just a Little More” as well as more debuts of future singles that tell a story for an eventual EP.
Currently working as a producer and living in central Connecticut, Huffman will aim for more shows this fall, and notes how much he loved playing with McLovins, with reflections on how to move forward having learned lessons.
We were so young and booked these long runs of shows, promoted the tour and not the individual shows. I wish we did one show at a time and just blown out that one show. I don’t want to take for granted any of the shows played, just take it one show at a time until I can get to see who’s listening.
Jake Huffman
Get tickets for the Mercury Lounge show on August 10 here. Show time is 6pm.
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