Hello, and welcome to Volume 49 of the Underground Binder Clip Society.
I once decided that a change would be made. That I would not return. I would move onward and upward. But I don’t think I believe in this anymore. Now, I think it’s just onward really.
Keep trucking. Stay attentive. Learn some things along the way. You might even see yourself change. But all change isn’t good change. Sometimes you realize that it’s time to turn back.
When I was about 13 I told myself I wasn’t gonna worry about what people thought of me anymore. It was obstructing my creative pursuits. About 10 years later, i’m here in Nashville, trying to set myself free all over again. Social ladders reinvent themselves— or better yet, we reinvent them.
We like when success is measurable. A number of RSVPs. An exciting cast. “Well, who’s gonna be there?” we ask. We want a good hang. But deep down we want to be known and accepted for who we really are. If everything is fun or funny, then nothing can be serious. Ive struggled with this. folks who take it too far. Like come on. Just sit with me for a second. Say, “man, that sucks.”
I remember finding bands like Mom Jeans and Modern Baseball in high school and thinking “wow, these guys are depressed!” It was powerful. They weren’t telling me how to be — they were just telling me how it is. I didn’t relate to everything they were saying, but I related to the emotion. The intensity. The angst. The abandon.
But maybe it wasn’t abandon. Maybe it was synthesis. Taking pain and disappointment and making it into music. Something I felt far from capable of at the time, but that I knew I wanted a piece of.
A good few years later, i’m learning the dance. Trying to be a truth teller and a friend. A layman and a scholar. A poet and a rock n roller. Praying that some kid a thousand miles away with their headphones in might connect with what i’ve created.
Making music feels a lot like going to the bathroom at this point. I don’t feel the need to do it all the time. But when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. When it comes to making records, there’s not much to it but to do it. Try and make the process sustainable in some way. Try to get better at it and more efficient each time.
Get good people around you. People who get it. Ask for help. Try to enjoy the process. I’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again — while its still true. But I feel i’ve got a lot left to give. A lot left to say and a few good ways to say it.
I’m still getting my head on straight. I’m grateful for the people helping me do so. I’ve been counting my blessings. It’s growing my gratitude. Bringing me back to earth.
Anyways,
holler if you need me,
and be well.
Yours Truly,
Jake Smith
My new EP “Hellbent” is out now.
You can stream it here on all platforms
Did you hear? I put out an EP a few weeks ago. It’s six songs and nineteen and a half minutes long. Perfect for a commute, a walk, a jog or for laying on your floor. Let me know if you heard it and how you feel about it in an email reply, and i’ll send you something special in return!
Here are this week’s “Quick Clips”:
* Community Dinner is coming back in 2026! Subscribe to the Happy Medium Substack to stay in the know about whats to come!
* I am looking for some helping hands for community dinner, and DIY shows and events this coming year with Happy Medium, TN ! Fill out this form if you are curious about helping out! Thanks!
* I made a little year end playlist of sorts compiling some of my favorite “Indie Twang and Beyond” from the last year. You can check it out here.
* Some Legit Era Smitty merch is still up for grabs on Bandcamp now! Good Grief CD’s, Binder Clip Tees, and Share A Song Today Tees.
As always, shoot me an email if you want to work on music, remote or in-person, here in Nashville, TN.
Support me and this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber, buying merch, or by streaming my music!
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