Name: Jake Janowitz
Major: RCAH & Psychology
Hometown: Birmingham, MI
I’ve always wondered what it must be like for people who knew rockstars before fame and fortune took over— being friends with Jake Janowitz seems to be a little glimpse into what that feels like. Jake is a current junior studying in RCAH and psychology at Michigan State University, but the real story of Jake lies in his music.
You can tell Jake is a true musician by the way he talks about his music— full of overwhelming passion and love— especially his current work on his newest song, which he plans on releasing in the coming weeks, thus beginning our conversation around his processes for songwriting, editing, and producing content.
Upon asking him about his songwriting process, Jake eagerly began saying “Sometimes I will just think of lyrics or, like, lines without any rhythm or anything behind it, just ‘cause I think it sounds cool,” and continued to remember the moments that sparked the inspiration for his newest song. Over the summer, Jake remembers thinking, “time is really just passing me by, and it doesn’t feel like I’m really here in the moment at all,” which inspired the first line of the song, “does it feel like I’m here at all? I have some days that go at once, I miss them”. Continuing, Jake remembers, “At the same time I was just working with this chord progression, and I had no idea what the chorus, or anything, would sound like.” After talking about lyrics, we shifted our conversation towards instruments and the skill it takes to not only write the lyrics for a song but also the melodies and harmonies as well. After learning how to use various audio editing programs, Jake learned “bass and, recently, maybe a couple of years ago, [he] started with the drums a little bit” and has played guitar since his early teen years. It’s easy to hear his talent throughout his new song, which combines a dynamic trap-beat with a retro bass to create a very cool psych-pop vibe.
When asked if he believes he has a natural talent for instruments, Jake humbly responded, “I’m not gonna say I have a natural talent for anything.” This kind of humility is what makes Jake such a unique individual and artist. He has incredible respect for other musicians and the effort it takes to create a piece of music. I believe Jake also has a deep respect for the effort he has put into learning new instruments and different programs that allow him to continue to develop and mature the type of music he wants to produce which makes him such a unique individual and a dynamic member of the local band, Rocco Verace.
Jake plays lead guitar in Rocco Verace, a hardcore punk band that Jake started as a freshman and began performing with last year. Jake talks about their repertoire saying, “it’s kind of funny, because initially I wanted to do more of the psychedelic stuff, but they wanted to do some stuff that more like mom jeans, like Joyce Manor kind of stuff, and they were really into it so I said yeah, that’s fine.” After that, Jake talks a little about writing with the band and excitedly reports that Rocco Verace is in the beginning stages of writing an EP.
For my own curiosity’s sake, I wanted to know about the fabled rush of being a rockstar and performing in front of the incredibly high-energized crowds that attend Rocco Verace’s performances. “The real rush is when you break a string,” Jake concedes and all my visions of future rockstar glory take off. “It’s really fun playing heavy stuff and seeing the crowd get really into it. My favorite song to play is “Phased Out” by Turnstile and what’s fun is when I see the crowd going crazy. It’s all about the energy.”
As someone who has attended many of Rocco Verace’s shows, I can attest that their latest performance at a local co-op was definitely high energy. At the suggestion of their stand-in guitarist, Rocco Verace concluded their excellent set by smashing two guitars on stage. At my request for details of the crazy stunt Jake shares, “[the guitarist] just had a ton of old broken guitars around and so, he was like ‘let’s break them’ and we agreed. It was ultimately [the guitarist’s] decision but we were happy he let us do it.”
Each of Rocce Verace’s shows inspires something unique and special in the crowd, making them such a pleasure to watch. Jake shares that even some of the smallest shows Rocco Verace plays are great; incidentally, one of the smaller shows Rocco Verace played earlier this year holds the title as Jake’s favorite performance memory. Jake remembers the band played “Phased Out” twice just because the crowd didn’t want the show to end.
On his own performance in the band, Jake says, “the more I play, the more critical I get.” Knowing Jake as a friend, this doesn’t surprise me, and only confirms what I’ve always thought —- Jake is the kind of musician that could really make an impact on the music industry. His ability to motivate himself to hone in on his craft sets him apart sparks a deeper appreciation for the process and outcome of his work.
To keep up with Jake and Rocco Verace:
Jake’s Instagram: @__eph__ Rocco Verace Instagram: @roccoverace