Whether it’s dissecting the heavy complexities of rock or exploring the subtle details of the genre, two artists who are
splendidly marking their presence in the world of music are Jay Denton and Hannah Parrott. The artists with their solid enigmatic style and killer vibes have torn up the basic rulebook and are ready to offer everything fresh and new to the fans. Their latest music video ‘The Reckoning’ gives a strong reflection of their musical identity and shows that the singers are at the peak of their creativity. The musical variations, the change in tempo, the intriguing verses, and of course their bold vocal toning; everything gives the track a deluxe touch. The song hits with creative explosion and there is absolutely no reason to not consider them as the next big thing in the genre.
Recently our team had the opportunity to share a small conversation with this dynamic pair and it seemed there is a whole iceberg beneath what meets the eyes. Read below to know more.
Q. Congratulations on your latest single, how do you feel about the newfound success?
Ans. It feels great to be putting out music of my own again after writing and producing primarily for other artists the past few years. I love working with all kinds of different artists, but there is something special about putting something out that’s my own sound and vision, and where I get to take the kind of risks that may be too outside the box for others. I had the privilege of working with composer, Hannah Parrott, on this song, and we went full-scale cinematic level with the soundscapes, the builds, and the overall feel, and I’m excited about how it turned out.
Q. For those who don’t know, for how long have you been singing and creating together?
Ans. I’ve been writing songs and playing the guitar since I was a teenager, but it wasn’t until after college that I considered it as a career pursuit. I met Hannah when I first moved back to LA from Nashville, TN. We worked on a project back then that I never finished or released, but then we started working again in 2019 on a project called “For Home” by ENDURE – an album I recorded with Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Hannah worked with me and a Syrian singer, Souzda Ammo, on a song called “Elegy” – and hearing what Hannah did with that one, I knew I wanted to work with her more. She has a way of making music feel like it has about 287 different layers of emotion.
Q. How would you like to explain your music and how does it differ from the others?
Ans. I have such an eclectic taste in music and listen to stuff that is all over the map – so when I make music I really don’t create in a particular genre, but rather build each song as it’s own thing, and let the song go wherever it goes sound-wise. That means that over time you’ll hear all sorts of different types of things from me from the most stripped-down acoustic/vocal all the way to full cinematic scale. I started as a guitar player, but now play the piano, bass, mandolin, banjo, Cajon, etc., so from song, to song you may hear very different backdrops. That’s what will make my music sound different than others – you could be hearing a darker rock style sound and then out of nowhere, a banjo may pop in during the chorus…
Q. Being in the industry for some time now, what do you believe could change for the better?
Ans. I do think that to the general public, the music industry is driven entirely by artists, whereas when you’ve been in it a while, you understand how insanely important the songwriters, producers, mixing and mastering engineers, and musicians are to the overall records that you hear. Some artists are really involved in the song and the music itself, while some primarily come in as the singer bringing to life other people’s creative vision. Either way, it’s all about creating something as
Q. Do you feel there is a lot of monotony these days, if yes, how would you like to change it?
Ans. I think with the pandemic this past year we’ve all experienced some sort of monotony, but circumstances will always flow in one direction or another. As creatives, it’s on us to find ways to break out of that monotony and to find inspiration – or to create it through digging into the harder realities that we don’t have to think about when life is exciting.
Q. How has your musical journey been so far?
Ans. My musical journey has been a ride, that’s for sure. It’s been anything but a straight line, and anything but an easy one, however now I’m almost grateful that it took me a while to get things off the ground because I never was able to get away with shortcuts. I started as a toppling songwriter writing for other artists, then I learned how to produce from the ground up, mix, and master so that I could take an idea from its inception all the way to its final version. That journey took a long time to do well, but at the end of the day, it’s incredibly empowering to know enough about every piece of the puzzle to put it together yourself. Now my journey is almost the opposite – unraveling the “do everything yourself” mentality so that I can take what I do to the next level through working with others who have specialties different than mine.
Q. What inspired you both to release your creativity together?
Ans. Well Hannah Parrott has a rapidly growing catalog of great instrumental music – she can really make an instrumental track feel like it has lyrics because of the amount of story she tells through the music. I’ve always recognized that in her work, so when I showed her the song I’d started, “The Reckoning”, and she wanted to work on it with me, it seemed far more like a full artistic collaboration than a work for hire situation where she’d build out string arrangements and orchestral textures. I think Hannah has been inspired by some of the things I do as a writer/artist, and I’m definitely inspired by the things she does as a composer/producer, so it’s been a great fit creatively.
Q. Do you have any plans to go live in the future?
Ans. When I lived in Nashville, some common live music events are called “writer rounds” – where multiple songwriters all sit on stage in a line and perform songs they’ve written one after the other, and include some of the stories behind each song. I’ve always liked the idea of putting these rounds together in a live setting where I can play both songs I’ve released as an artist and the much greater number of songs I’ve written and produced for other artists. So I definitely plan to go live in the future, and time will tell what kind of format we go for it in.
Q. What has been your constant source of motivation and inspiration?
Ans. I do think I have a deep sense of purpose in my work and in the art I create. What I’m building with ENDURE Studios really excites me constantly, and as a part of that, I get the privilege of being around some great people all the time – and they always keep me pushing forward. Sometimes I’ll get tired of course from going at a pretty fast pace all the time, but usually when I do something or someone around me will snap me out of it pretty quickly. As for inspiration, I honestly find it in just about anything because music is the way I’ve learned to express my experience of reality. So when things are good, I want to write about it, and when things are tough, I also want to write about it. The key for me is in letting whatever I’m going through come through in my music instead of trying to manufacture a feeling or an inspiration.
Q. Do you both ever differ creatively, and if you do, how do you deal with it?
Ans. Of course, I differ creatively at times with anyone I’m working with – but sometimes that’s what makes the music better. If you’re working with someone who is really great at what they do, they’ll hear things I don’t, and often times their vision or instinct on something sounds cooler than my idea. With “The Reckoning” I had a different idea than Hannah’s originally for the second chorus, but then she liked the different direction idea, and then made it better than what I was even envisioning with it. Creative differences can break people apart, but they can also be what moves something from good to great.
Q. Are you happy just to make music or do you intend to branch it in other ways?
Ans. I am happy making music, but yes I do intend to branch into other things as ENDURE Studios grows. Eventually, I’d like the studio to be involved in film projects as well, and other elements of the entertainment industry. I want to build a global community of creatives from all over the world that can create cross-cultural media in multiple spaces and tell stories in multiple mediums that I think need to be heard.
Q. Would you like to share any special messages for your friends and followers?
Ans. Thank you so much for taking the time to follow the work I’m doing and the music I’m making. One of my favorite things is seeing the music I’ve made become a part of other people’s memories – whether it be the soundtrack to their road trips, weddings, workouts, films, or overall life. Life as an artist in the music industry can be a rocky road sometimes, and it’s always fulfilling to see ya’ll taking the songs from my journey and making them a part of yours!
Watch his Music Video on YouTube:
