JAKE VERA

Q When you look at Lost as a complete album now, do you see it as one continuous emotional journey rather than a collection of separate songs? 

That was always the intention, I’ve always wanted to write a cohesive record. There’s even some tracks that directly tie in to a single I previously released, titled “Purgatory.” All of the tracks are definitely connected in some way shape or form, whether it be thematically/ figuratively or a direct continuation of a previous story/ personal experience. 

Q The idea of being “lost” shows up in many forms on the album. What did that word mean to you while you were writing these lyrics? 

There’s so many emotions and answers to that question considering each track was written and recorded at different points of my life, so the meaning and theme of the album sort of became lost on me as well, which is beautifully ironic I think. 

I’d say the most consistent answer to your question is honesty. I’ve said it many times before, but my music is a direct extension of myself, and each story, experience, and ideology that’s being expressed throughout the record, is coming from a place of vulnerability. It’s that honesty I think more people need to hear and resonate with in order to connect with each other. We’re all lost in this life trying to find our way. I just want people to know that they aren’t alone on this journey. 

Q Many songs move between numbness and intense feeling. Do you see emotional vulnerability as a risk, a strength, or both? 

I don’t think being in touch with your own emotions and self is ever a weakness. Sure, plenty of people will try and ridicule, criticize, or even take advantage of that vulnerability. However, I think it takes a lot more strength and shows great character to not only overcome the fear of expressing yourself to complete strangers, but it’s necessary. We’ve been steadily losing our connection with one another and by extension, our humanity. 

Q Fire, burning, and rebirth appear repeatedly across the album. When did that imagery start to feel central to the story you were telling? 

Well I make it no secret that I’m a religious man, so naturally, the idea of being reborn and redeemed would make its way into the record. Purification by fire felt like a fitting concept, especially for the song “Forsaken”, as it describes the end times revealed in the book of revelations. The world will be burned and destroyed, yet from the ashes will emerge a new everlasting life/ world, cleansed from sin. 

When I was in love, I felt I was reborn as a much better person than I once was and was filled with intense joy and passion, as described in “Burn”. 

There’s a lot of different ways to interpret the imagery, and none are wrong. For each listener, “Lost” is like a rorschach test, what you take away from the album is up to your own individual analysis/ perspective, regardless of my own original thought process of my creation. 

Q Your lyrics often begin in a very personal place and then widen into social or generational commentary. How do you decide when a song should expand beyond the personal? 

I typically listen and let the song speak to me. Whatever emotion that starts to resonate with me will start to formulate into a topic that pops into my mind and starts to snowball into what I may want to say. It’s a lot of introspection, to put it plainly. 

As pretentious as it may sound haha 

Q Lost feels critical of apathy without becoming cynical. How do you keep that balance in your writing? 

Well it’s easy to give in and only add to the negativity that’s consumed the world, but it’s important to remember that things can change for the better. My criticism comes from a place of concern, not judgment. 

Q Time, judgment, and the fear of being too late come up several times. Was that driven by personal experience or broader observation? 

I think I’m a little too conscious of my own mortality than the average person, probably because of the Catholicism haha but I’d say a little of both. 

We don’t have as much time on this rock as we’d like to think, and that’s generously assuming we perish from old age. It’s that certain mindset that prevents people from living up to their potential, not taking any risks, which I think is tragic honestly. 

Q Faith and redemption appear in the lyrics without being tied to one belief system. What role does spirituality play in your songwriting? 

Quite a bit, I genuinely believe that God’s purpose for my very existence was to write and create music. Not only to spread his truth, but to help connect with people as human beings. You don’t have to share the same beliefs/ ideologies to enjoy my music or to simply connect though. If my music can somehow help support someone mentally or even save a life, then that’s far more than I could have ever hoped to achieve in this life. 

Q Several songs question pride and blind allegiance. Were you reacting to specific events, or more to a general cultural mindset? 

I talk a lot specifically about the current divided and aggressively antagonistic mindsets of the American population. This “us vs them” mindset is going to kill us all. What’s so frustrating is that regardless of humanity’s capacity to reason and rationalize, we’re still so caught up with the feeling of being morally superior or “on the winning side of history” to actually do something constructive to help better the world or at the very least, come to some sort of understanding. Everyone is willingly pitting themselves against each other for the sake of a bunch of politicians/ suits that couldn’t give a damn about them in the slightest. Bunch of bootlicking all around. 

Q The album suggests that societal collapse and personal disconnection are closely linked. Do you feel those two things influence each other in real life? 

Absolutely. I’d argue there’s a causation between the two concepts, but I’ll stick with correlation. If you look at history, particularly the fall of the Roman Empire, there are many factors that led to the eventual end of a once great empire that completely mirrors present day America. Apathy and the fatalistic line of thinking were among them. 

Q Human connection feels like a form of resistance throughout Lost. Was that something you realized during the writing process or only after the album took shape? 

I’d say the latter. I didn’t realize how detached music in particular had become. With the sudden rise of AI music and lazy/ uninspired writing from today’s most popular artists, devoid of any soul, I realized that there’s not much music being released lately that actively resonates with me or others in general. When I think about the music I grew up with and still listen to this day, I not only still enjoy listening very much, but I can actually hear what another human being has to say. There’s actual heart and conviction written down that I just don’t hear in many artists these days, at least not the artists at the top. 

Q Lost carries a sense of urgency, as if time is always running out. Did that pressure shape how directly you wrote the lyrics? 

When you live your life as if today will be your last, it definitely shapes every aspect of your life, your mindset included. “Lost” is both a passion project and a life long dream. I figured I not only had something to say, but only had so much time to say it. The last thing I’d want is for me to drop dead one day randomly before getting the record out ha 

Q Many of the songs feel emotionally exposed but controlled. How do you know when a lyric is too raw versus honest enough? 

I know I’m not exactly the most serious person in the room and that raw artistic expression is vital to my craft, I’m still a professional at the end of the day. Every aspect of songwriting, lyrics included, are to best serve the song/ music, not my ego. 

Q Do you see Lost as a reflection of where you were, or where you’re trying to go emotionally? 

It’s a reflection of who I am now. I can only learn from the past, and dream of the future. 

Q How do you hope listeners connect their own experiences to the themes of loss and rebirth in the album? 

The fact that anyone will be able to have some sort of a connection is a giant win in my book! Like I said before, as long as my music helps someone know that they aren’t alone and that it’s ok to be lost and vulnerable, and that there’s always hope for a better tomorrow to live for. 

Q Has writing Lost changed how you think about vulnerability in your future work? 

Yes, I learned that it’s much more uncomfortable and difficult to find the right words to say, but I wouldn’t change the experience or lessons for the world. I can only hope I can improve further, as I always strive to do. 

Q When people finish listening to the album, what emotional state do you hope they’re left in? 

Warmth, for a lack of a better term. Despite the dark and fatal sound throughout the album, I want people to have that feeling as if we’re all gathered around a bonfire, sharing stories and laughs. 

Q Looking back, what lyric from Lost feels the most revealing to you now? 

I’d say the entirety of “Inside” as that’s the most personal and difficult song I’ve ever written both lyrically and performance wise. 

I’d say the specific lyric: 

“What do you see? 

When you look at me 

Is it delight or do you writhe from what’s inside?” 

Is the most revealing. 

The song is a one sided conversation between myself and angels/ God. The thought process behind this specific section is pretty obvious but I think also the hardest hitting for me.