Ezekiel RodofiliRecently Jake Marra released a new single by the name of “Medicine”.
As such, I sent a few questions his way to find out a bit more about the song.
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Ez: Hi Jake!
Hope everything is going well for you.
Jake Marra: Hi there! Despite the current COVID-19 situation and the lockdown still going on in Melbourne, I’m doing pretty well and I hope you are, too!
Ez: When it came to creating “Medicine”, did you start on the lyrics, or the music first?
Jake Marra: Music first! When I came to the studio, Ben Oldland had already started producing a track that he thought would be perfect for me and he was right! I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about so he told me to throw random words out there and eventually I said ‘Medicine’. That’s was our lightbulb moment!
Ez: Was it difficult to match the music and lyrics together?
Jake Marra: In terms of lyrical content, not at all! I instinctively tend to write very doom-and-gloom lyrics and a brighter, more energetic instrumental isn’t going to stop me. In fact, that harsh contrast is something I love in music. Very much a “you can dance to this at a party but after a few drinks the lyrics might hit different” vibe!
Ez: What was it about “Medicine” that made you feel it was finished?
Jake Marra: I just knew! It’s really hard to explain. There’s always going to more you could do to a track; add more percussion, an extra synth, more ad-libs, etc., but when Ben sent me the final mix I got chills. I was like, “SHE”S PERFECT! READY TO ROLL! ICONIC!”
Ez: Other than the discussion of co-dependency and reliance, what do you hope listeners take away from the song?
Jake Marra: Obviously the message of the song is super important, but at the end of the day I want people to listen to this track and think, “Damn, this is a BOP!”. I live and breathe Pop music and when I hear a perfectly produced Pop banger with a catchy melody it’s just **chef’s kiss**. I want to make songs like that. Songs that people want to listen to again and again!
Ez: What is it about the style you’ve used for “Medicine” that you feel helps communicate your message?
Jake Marra: I feel like I keep saying this, but sharing my past traumas through the vehicle of upbeat, hard-hitting Pop tracks is vital for me. Digging up painful memories is hard. Polishing them up as catchy tunes makes it a bit easier for me to work through and I feel it makes it easier as a listener to digest a potentially hard-to-hear message.
Ez: Thank you for your time Jake.
I hope the song is successful, and I also hope your day is pleasant.
Jake Marra: Thank you so much for having me! Have a wonderful day!