Jay Som Performs Live in Studio and Discusses New Album 'Belong'

Live Performance: Casino Stars

• 🎸 Jay Som, the solo project of Melina Duterte, opened the session with the song "Casino Stars" from her new album.
• 🎤 The performance featured the full band, including Jo on guitar, Aubrey on bass, Carrie on lead guitar, and Eric on drums.

'Belong' Album Creation

• 🗓️ The album "Belong" primarily took shape in early 2024, with co-production by Jah in LA and finalization during the mixing process.
• 💡 Duterte mentioned a couple of failed attempts at the album, stemming from feeling burnt out from touring and exploring production and engineering as an alternative.
• 🎓 She taught herself production and engineering skills through online resources and by asking friends, focusing on learning how to work a console.

Collaborations and Influences

• 🤝 Duterte intentionally sought collaboration for "Belong" to escape her own echo chamber and gain new perspectives.
• 🎶 She learned to not overthink studio work, embracing the idea that the first or second take is often the best.
• 🌟 The album features Jim Atkins of Jimmy Eat World, who remotely recorded vocals, and Hayley Williams of Paramore on the track "Past Lives."
• 🎤 Duterte's teenage influences included punk and alternative rock bands like Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Blink-182, and Green Day.
• 🎧 For "Belong," she explored more electronic and dance music influences, inspired by Fufu's album "Heap."

Reflections on Career and Music

• 🎂 Looking back at her debut album's 10th anniversary, Duterte feels proud of her younger self for putting herself out there and making music for fun.
• 📈 She now feels more self-aware of the career aspect of music, aspiring to regain the freedom and fun she had when it was purely a hobby.
• 💖 The song "Appointments" from the new album explores platonic relationships and blurred lines in friendships.
• 🤝 The track "What You Need" features Soft Glass (Joel), who brought the song idea to Duterte.

Upcoming Show

• 📍 Jay Som and her band are scheduled to play at Warsaw in New York City.