Jack Drinker is a 22 year old singer/songwriter living in Los Angeles. He grew up singing in a choir which helped to strengthen his passion for singing from a very young age. He first fell in love with non-classical voice before transitioning into the world of Pop, realizing that it was the genre that fit his lyrics and vocal style the best.
What first got you into music?
My music journey began when I was around four years old. I was in a church choir where we would rehearse every Wednesday and I kept going with it until I graduated eighth grade. We also did a lot of musicals which helped me discover my love for performance. I started singing at a really young age which I believe helped me develop technique over time.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process sort of varies depending on how I feel. Typically I come up with a melody and lyrics at the same time. Sometimes it’s just lyrics or a poem that slowly turns into a song. I really like starting my songs off as poems because I feel like it gets me out of my head. I’ve noticed that if I’m thinking about writing a song with a certain amount of rhymes or beats, it can start to feel less organic. Sometimes I’ll just write a word or a sentence in my notes and then go off of it later. It really just depends on my mood or how much time I have. I tend to get the most
ideas when I’m in the car or in the shower when I can’t easily record myself or write the idea down. As far as bringing a song to life, I’m still learning guitar and wouldn’t call myself an amazing producer so a lot of the times I just send my ideas to a friend or producer who can help me execute it.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I would describe the music that I typically create as raw and vulnerable. I would definitely say that most of my music is sad because writing music is a form of therapy for me. When good things happen or Im feeling happy, I don’t feel inspired to write a song because I’m not trying to work through or process anything. My goal with my music is to make people feel seen and if even just one person can relate to my music and feel less alone, it’s all worth it.
If you could open for any artist who would it be?
Right now it would definitely be Gracie Abrams. I’m obsessed with her new album and her storytelling ability. I’m incredibly inspired by her artistry and vulnerability in her tone and lyrics. She is able to articulate painful feelings that I’ve felt in such detail, it’s crazy.
Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
So far I have actually only performed one live show as an artist! I just graduated from college so I definitely didn’t feel like I had enough material that I was proud of to be playing a bunch of shows. My goal for this year is to play a show a month so we’ll see. I have a show coming up on March 14th at Adults Only in Hollywood. That’s actually the same venue I played my first show at and I loved it. On 4/4 I’m playing a set at The Hotel Cafe which has been one of my dream venues to perform at. I’m really excited to perform all of my new music that I’m really proud of.
Are you planning any videos for your music?
Yes, I actually shot a music video for my new single “Plane Ticket” in January. It’s definitely my favorite thing I’ve ever made. I came up with the concept and directed it which is also really exciting because I’ve never done anything like that before. I worked with a good friend named James Bragg whose an amazing cinematographer. I really enjoyed the creation of the music video because it was just him and me. We were able to just bounce ideas off of each other without having too many opinions involved. We also shot at some really cool locations around LA which was so much fun. The video will be released on March 24th! I also made a cute little lyric video that will come out a week after the song’s release.
Where was your last song recorded?
It’s funny because I actually recorded the vocals for “Plane Ticket” in my bedroom. My Producer, Alyssa Wilkens, lives across the country so we only met virtually. Luckily I have a reliable set up at home which allowed me to record all of the vocals remotely. This was the first time I recorded vocals from home and I actually loved it. Taking my time with each vocal and having control over comping each vocal was really important to me. I was able to trust my instincts and just have so much fun with it.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Yes, I definitely sing in the shower a lot. For some reason being in the shower makes me think I am a powerhouse vocalist. It must be the bathroom acoustics or something. I love singing songs by artists like Adele, Whitney Houston, Sam Smith, and Lionel Richie.
Would you rather be the one in a movie who gets the hero/heroine or the baddie with all the good lines?
I would definitely rather be the snarky/evil character with the best one liners. I would rather play a character who the audience loves to hate than play a hero.
If you could learn any language fluently, what would it be?
It would definitely be French! I took French in high school and got up until French 4 but forgot everything. French wasn’t one of the most prioritized languages at my high school so I don’t feel like I learned that much over the course of four years. I did get to go on a school trip to France in my junior year of high school which was a life changing experience. I would love to live in France for a few months and be able to speak to people fluently.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
That’s a great question. I would tell myself to trust myself and trust the process. I have definitely found myself overly stressed out about things that aren’t in my control which is a waste of energy. Being in a creative field can be really difficult at times but following my passions and my instincts has always been beneficial for my overall success. After graduating college, I found myself in so many positions where I had to trust myself to make the right decision for myself which was scary. In the end, it’s pointless to give too much energy to things that you can’t
control which also has a lot to do with being present. I found myself always anticipating the future instead of just being content on a day to day basis. It’s hard to ever be at peace with the present when you’re always building up anticipation for something in the future.
What was the last TV series you watched on TV?
I watched it a few months ago but the show that’s sticking out in my head is The White Lotus season 2. I loved it. The plotline felt a lot more natural this season and the characters were all very interesting. I feel like each character had their story arcs build equally which is hard to do in a limited series. The last episode definitely did not disappoint.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackdrinkermusic/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCoYaZBBnZ5JJErKlpRi8s0g
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/JCPYt7LgZkZLrFjA8
