Artist Spotlight: Meet Jay Luke
What was the creative process like for this particular 'Me And My Demons?'
The process was a new approach for me. Most tracks on the previous albums had been written quite sometime before entering the studio to record them. Sometimes they have been road tested on stage to work out any issues to tighten them up by performing them to see if anything should be added or removed. For this album in particular I decided to try to capture things I was going through and take them right into the studio fresh which gave it a more raw or a live kind of vibe to it I think. I have been saying with how the material was brought into the recording studio I originally intended on jokingly calling the album "Winging It."
What are you most proud of about 'Me And My Demons?'
This album is perhaps the most personal side of my songwriting. Each song I have ever written is always a snapshot into whatever I am around or immersed in, this album, was a very introspective look at myself and how living in a non-stop, fast-paced, deadline-oriented life with so many hardships and detours from anything comfortable can be. It made me face myself in a way I don't think I had in my whole life. The vulnerability and honesty in it had me wondering if I was revealing too much, or if the fans would understand. And with the release of the title track as a teaser before releasing the album we ended up getting press on every continent but Antarctica. So I knew we struck a nerve. The album has so many things I feel proud of. The continued collaboration with Michael "Duds" McDonald on lead guitar is increasingly more and more inspiring and like I have said before these albums may have my name on them but they are just as much the identity of his as well. His fingerprints are all over the songs and it's an organic natural thing. I am pretty proud of my young niece Dahlia appearing on the album too. She has an adorable spoken word part in the song "Malice In Wonderland" which means a lot to me. Lastly, with this album, I think what I am most proud of is that within the first 3 days of its release, it hit over 110,000 streams. To me, that is just impossible to even believe but it is true and I am just so grateful.
How does 'Me And My Demons’ fit into your overall artistic vision?
The thing I feel as a songwriter is that you continue to be true and to keep on whatever road you are traveling. Most of the time we don't always walk the same circle over and over and we venture into new territories. Sometimes we find similarities and sometimes differences but seeking and wandering always lend themselves to new stories, wisdom, and inspiration. I think this album is a continuation of that. I bared my soul more than anything I had done previously and I am beyond pleased at the reaction to that. My vision is always to write real songs about real things and I am quite happy to say we achieved on this release.
Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
Music has been my passion long before I even played an instrument. A lot of kids growing up idolized sports stars or certain things but for me, it was always rock n roll bands. They were my heroes. As far as creating music goes, one album in particular out of so many I was turned on to was a release from 1992 called "The Crimson Idol" by a band called W.A.S.P. that just knocked me over with its intensity, storytelling, and heartfelt lyrics. It was EVERYTHING I felt and wanted to do with my life. After that album, I began to write. I wrote lyrics and then started to write melodies to go along with them. It started the fire for me so to speak. Another pivotal moment in my life was opening for W.A.S.P. many years after and truly being let down by the events that occurred around the gig. But that is a story for another time.
How do you balance creativity and commercial success in your music career?
I think the only time there is an interference between creativity and success is when someone is trying to steer you against what you feel in your heart. That is usually something you hear stories from big music moguls taking over the careers of their artists and after using them up finding it was all against their better judgment. If you follow your heart and play what you feel, write what you feel, and do what you feel you will eventually find success from being true to yourself. It may not be instant but nothing worth it is. It takes a lot of work and patience but it'll come if you simply don't give up.