Essential 8: Jake Winstrom

Credit: Tanya Salazar Photography

Previously the lead vocalist and singer-songwriter with the Knoxville, Tenn., band Tenderhooks, Jake Winstrom is gearing up for the release of his first solo album, Scared Away the Song, on May 25th. The now Brooklyn-based artist returned to Knoxville and settled in with producer Jeff Bills at Arbor Studios and the result is an album filled with terrific, quirky songs about relationships, good dogs, and music in the digital age that is sure to please. Here, Winstrom answers his Essential 8 and talks about the album, songwriting, a chance meeting with Elvis Costello, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
“Scared Away The Song” is something I'd been kicking around for a while. I'd heard a quote attributed to Frank Sinatra ( I think??) about singers needing to trust the song that they're singing, to trust the way it's been built and let it tell them where they need to go, as opposed to the opposite, trying to cram in a bunch of notes and push it as hard as they can. I think it's a cool philosophy and raises some interesting questions, and not just about music.


Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
My favorite albums are the ones that pick you up in once place and drop you off in another. That tell a story. Or leave room for you to tell your own! So that was kind of what I was shooting for. To try to pick my favorite songs and arrange them in a way that hopefully made the whole feel greater than the sum of the parts. Whether we accomplished that or not, I don't know! But it was definitely a process we put a lot of thought into.

I'd built up a lot of material over the past 8 or so years. We had two versions of “From Here To The Moon”. It's a song I wrote after watching the great songwriters R.B. Morris and Marshall Chapman play an unforgettable show at the Laurel Theater in Knoxville where they kind of traded songs back and forth. It's about the intoxicating power of music, and kind of a scene-setter for the album. So I felt very strongly that it had to come first. We had two versions of it. One that was much quieter and ethereal, almost like a lullaby. The other is louder and kind of glam rock. My buddy Jeff Bills, who produced the album, was a staunch supporter of the quiet one. But at the end of the day I felt like the loud version was a better first chapter for the story I was trying to tell.

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​With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
The key change at the end of “Unglued”. I'd been working on the song for a month or so, and although I was digging it, I could tell it didn't quite stick the landing. It's not a trick I'd normally use, but since this was the most “country” song I'd written it seemed like a good time to throw caution to the wind. And I think it works! Although as a result I've started playing it a half step down live to make sure I can hit all the notes.

When/where do you do your best writing?
Mid-afternoon. In a highly caffeinated state. And not in my apartment where I get too distracted by my cat, video games, records, etc.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
I try to do all of the above but I always circle back to personal experience. I guess I'm self centered, ha! “Big Black Dog” is about a three-legged lab named Turbo that my sister fostered and my brother adopted. A rescue group apparently found him left for dead in the smoky mountains with his leg stuck in a bear trap. By all accounts he should hate people. But he loves everyone and everything! Just the sweetest guy you ever met. The album cover is a picture my brother took of him with his tongue hanging out.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
My buddy Tim Lee, who's in one of my favorite bands BARK, once told me, and I'm paraphrasing, but to kind of get out of my own way when it comes to songwriting. To trust your instincts and stop making it so hard. Not sure I did a very good job following that advice since this record took almost a decade to make! But I think it's a really smart sentiment. To not second guess yourself to the point of inaction.

Is there a recent release you cannot stop listening to?
Yes! “A Losing Match” by Count This Penny. They're a fantastic folk/country duo out of Knoxville. Allen and Amanda are both great singers who make a unique sound together. And the album is this stunning, utterly timeless song cycle on love, loss, drinking, aging.. all the best country themes! It's a real black beauty of a record. Uplifting too. One of the best sequenced records I've heard. Can't recommend it highly enough!

Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go?
Yeah! I met Elvis Costello 10 years or so ago. He was shopping in downtown Knoxville the night ahead of a show. I'm always hesitant to approach any famous musician, especially one with such a renown penchant for lyrical vitriol! But he was just the friendliest, coolest guy. Incredibly warm, talkative and generous with his time. I was clutching a copy of his “Momofuku” LP, and not only did he sign it, but he flipped through the liner notes with me, pointed out the different musicians who played on it, told me stories about recording it, asked about what else I was listening to, etc. It's a memory I'll always treasure, for sure!

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