Hot Press is delighted to bring you this first listen to The Mandolin Tapes, the stunning new EP from English-born Irish singer Jake Kelly. Available tomorrow on digital platforms, 'Dreaming Awake', 'Closer', 'Here We Are, Lost Again', 'Peaks & Valleys' and 'Where' are deeply personal songs that cut right to the none.
Currently living in Germany after spells in China and Vietnam - he played in the bars and on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City - Jake has packed a lot into his twenty years including a debut EP, Stories & Feelings, that established him as a major new alt. folk force last year.
“This EP was written and recorded after I moved to Germany, from Ireland, which was a devastating transition that took some time to move past," Jake says. "I fell into a bout of depression and began drinking a lot. In order to try and understand and eventually overcome my hopelessness, regret and longing, I wrote The Mandolin Tapes. By focusing my time and energy on these songs, in close to isolation, I was able to get over some of these issues and find more passion in life. It took me quite some time to get out of a seemingly life-long rut. Music has always played an important role in that journey, and I think it will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I can only hope."
He's become expert in recording his music GarageBand and LogicPro, and already has a third EP in the works. Having lived with his EP for the past few weeks, we can't wait to see Jake live when all this craziness is over!