Jesse

Macht

 

Welcome Jesse to LA Live Sessions, it’s a pleasure to have you. Let’s start with the basics, when did you start playing music? What was your first gig?

Started playing music as a little kid. Started with piano, moved to violin, back to piano, on to drums, back to piano, on to bass, and then eventually guitar! I’ve continued to play everything and sing except violin. First gig was at the Whisky A-Go-Go when I was 18. I never thought I wanted to truly be a musician until that gig. I’d never experienced anything like that. I had the most fun I could ever imagine, and I was hooked after that. 

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This single is pretty “New Blood” heartfelt. In the song, you sign about how a special person makes you feel. What’s the inspiration behind the song?

I was dating for a bit looking for new love after I had lost a love of my life. When people break up, you’re losing a best friend for some very deep seated intimate reasons, and it can chip at your self worth. The song is about gaining the strength to attempt love again, and allowing someone in again, and the threat of them finding out what your insecurities are, your weaknesses, and allowing them to uncover them and hoping that they’ll accept you for your failings. How we don’t want to engage in that discovery necessarily, but we can’t resist it… the scent … of new blood.

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Who inspires you as a musician? & why?

I’m a huge Jeff Buckley fan. To me, he was complete talent. He had the courage to experiment, had the skill of a virtuoso, the god-given voice that was supernatural, and the charisma to mix it all together. Last Goodbye is my favorite song of all time… he was able to mix all the elements of what makes a great song and songwriter meld into a legend. 

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If you had to live your life by a motto, what would it be?

“If you are you, and I am me, then you are yourself and I am myself. But if you are you because I am me, and I am me because you are you, then you are not you and I am not me.” - The Kotzer Rebbe 

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Walk us through your creative process. How does it start for you? How do you develop a song?

Starts in a myriad of ways, but generally I sit down at the instrument and begin to play songs I love, songs of mine, songs of others, then it evolves into playing different progressions or lead parts and I start mumbling consonants that turn into words that turn into sentences that turn into chord progressions that turn into choruses and verses and bridges! Once I get there I let the song sit for a couple of days and if I want to come back to it, like I feel a NEED to come back to it, I begin to edit and fine tune… record it… and boom. Song. 

Usually the vibe of the song and where I’m at in my life directs what the tonality and content of the song will be about. But… sometimes… I take on a character and see what that will find … like Every Mile, was a song as a character… 

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If there was one thing in the world that everyone should know about you, what should it be?

 Oh wow… probably to accept that I’m going to make a lot of mistakes and make a lot of mistakes, but that my intentions are always good and always with love. I don’t think I’m the smartest and sometimes I make really bad choices, but the sooner you realize that I am clumsy in both physical demeanor and in some decision making, the sooner that acceptance will help you see that I’m a warm hearted human ready to adventure. 

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What’s next for Jesse & Race the tide ? What can we expect from you guys this year?

 Got some home concerts coming up this fall and gonna release an unreleased record in coming weeks that I recorded at Lord Huron’s WHISPERING PINES. I will be going to Australia at the end of 2018/19 and playing home concerts down under which I’m really excited about. Next event is a “Sunsets At” arts and culture series and wine tasting I’m hosting on September 16th in Silver Lake, CA. If you’d like to attend - DM me at instagram.com/Racethetidemusic