After moving across the United States, Jacob Gonzalez is finally living out his dream of living in Los Angeles, to satisfy his ambitious and creative appetite.
The limelight is where he belongs, with the release of his highly anticipated single, “Never Met.” The drive to fulfill his hunger as a musical artist is on full exhibition with this track, making him one step closer to dominating the entertainment industry. Jacob Gonzalez may have recorded this single in his bedroom, but this studio-quality song speaks volumes giving him the credit he deserves, putting him in the brightest of spotlights.
“Never Met,” begins with the sound of a tape deck inserting a cassette and we already know we’re in for a sonic treat. It is quickly followed by the up-tempo performance of drums, instantly making us bounce to the melodies emitted and the sweet sounds of Gonzalez laying down some ambient harmonies.
Jacob exudes a certain resonance in his vocals that combine a soft-spoken yet powerful force drawing us into his lyrics.
When the bridge comes in and the main instrumentation drops out, it accurately showcases the desire behind Gonzalez and his wholesome storytelling. “Never Met,” leaves you continuing to take in the essence of this record long after it has concluded. The carefully scripted lyrics have us belting along to a chorus so catchy, it makes this song extremely “hard to forget.”
We can justly say that we are here for Jacob Gonzalez and his heartfelt single, “Never Met.” This track definitely has us hooked and we’re highly anticipating what’s next for this talented artist.
Congratulations on the release of “Never Met.” Could you please tell us a bit about your sonic journey as an artist from across the United States to Los Angeles? Hey, thank you so much! I'm excited to be a part of this community! I was originally born in San Diego, but my parent's jobs moved me and my siblings all the way to Colorado. I always knew that somehow I would be back in LA. My journey has been quite stressful, I graduated high school in 2017 and immediately looked into getting an apartment here in LA but it was so expensive and seemed hopeless, honestly. So I decided to work on my craft from home, and I moved here when I felt I was ready and able to share my art.
Do you prefer recording out of the privacy of your own home versus going to a studio setting when composing your creative pieces?
I love recording out of my home. I had some bad experiences with studios and sound engineers. I started in my bedroom, where I actually recorded Never Met, and when I moved back to LA, I joined a house of artists, and they have a 24-hour studio, which is still simple and small and feels like a room, but with more gadgets!
In terms of musical inspirations, who heavily influence the music you craft?
My biggest inspirations in music would be The Killers, Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd, and my IDOL Jack Antonoff from Bleachers. He has produced so many of my favorite records, and also has produced some killer ones for other artists like 1989, Reputation, Lover - Taylor Swift, Melodrama - Lorde, Gaslighter - The Chicks. I would absolutely love to work with him one day!
What does “Never Met,” mean to you and what do you want your fans to take away from it?
Never Met is about the feelings you keep after you break up with someone. You spent so much of your time with them that it never really goes away. But the more you long for them the more you remember the bad parts of the relationship. You end up wishing you never met because the memories are too painful. I want my fans to know it's okay to feel hurt, it's okay to be in your feelings, but don't let it control you. Never Met is almost a toxic story because I'd rather forget I ever met the person I loved. What could have been a learning experience that helped me grow stronger, turned into something that controlled me, and made me miserable. This year has been extremely difficult for the music industry. What has been your biggest source of inspiration while creating new music, this year? Streaming Music, I think my Spotify rewind said I had over 300 hours listened. The artists I mostly listened to were The Killers, Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd, Bleachers, and some oldies like ABBA, and Fleetwood Mac, and oddly enough the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack, vintage! My parents raised me on the '80s and 90's music so I tend to lean towards more alt-rock and pop.