"WE BOTH KNOW" Q&A
Each of my songs are personal. With elaborate backstory's from origination to music video production. Here's a little storytelling about how my new single came to be.
01
What inspired this track?
The duality of love inspired this song. I find there's two different types of romantic love. A soul love. The one in the ethers. That unexplainable energetic connection to another. Everything feels pure. It's not impact by a physical relationship or lack-thereof. This type of love comes out in the chorus. The ideal love, I think.
Contrasted with an earthly love that feels more clumsy and flawed. The daily struggles of functioning as an individual as well as a love partner. We loose ourselves. Become a new version. Don't know how to connect the soul love to the physical world. This struggle comes out in the verses.
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Romantic love is complex. Ever changing. Never right nor wrong. It just is. A knowing. And sometimes we need the reminder that it's bigger than us and not something to be forced.
But when "We Both Know," it's magic.
02
How was the writing process?
This literally might be my quickest write to-date. It's also my first released composition that I have 100% writing credit on.
My partner in crime, Producer Jonathan Grant Berlin, is usually my co-writer and this was the first one that he felt was ready straight-out-the-gate and that for me is just a really beautiful milestone for my late-to-bloom songwriting career.
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There's always that one song an artist feels is a turning point for finding their sound. "We Both Know" feels like mine. I am such an eclectic soul in general and you can really feel that from my diverse catalogue of releases. But, there's something about this song that feels like yea, this is me and both where I'm at currently and where I'm going. Just me.
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It blends an ethereal pop sound with very mystically laced lyrics, and quite frankly that's the world I exist in. Up here floating in la-la-land just trying to make sense of the bizarre things humans and our society make, "the norm.​"
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03
How was the recording process?
MEET THE PRODUCER
I teamed up with my long-standing co-writer and producer, Jonathan Grant Berlin, on this track. Berlin has been there since the beginning of my recording career. He produced my first single, "Forgiveness," released in 2020. He has now co-written and/or produced 6 out of my 7 releases. He leads his own solo project, Sunbears! as well as records and tours with popular folk duo, JOHNNYSWIM, as their lead guitarist.​​
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VOCAL ENGINEERING
My whole musical career is always about challenging myself and learning something new. I engineered my own vocals on both my last four releases, "Christmas Mood," "This Small Town" and "Every Excuse," as well as this tune. Each time around really diving further into that process. Learning and growing. Tracking, comping, and writing/tracking background vocals along the way.
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04
Release time. What's new?
PARIS
I kind of up and moved to Paris, France for a month. I mean what better way to release your first love song than to live in the capital of love?
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So, I leased an apartment and currently live in the literary mecca of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. Living here supports a two-fold dream, first for the release and promotion of the song but also for curating a Parisian vintage collection for my shop, JESABEL home.
For the promo photos/videos, I had the honor of working with an incredibly talented Paris photographer/videographer, Nguyen Huynh Thai, who beautifully and cinematically captured the song's story with iconic Parisian backdrops. I also had Jacksonville's premier make-up artist, Lia Croke fly in to add her magic. I personally styled the clothing, incorporating vintage pieces both from home and from my Parisian flea market sourcing trips while living here.
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The vintage Parisian collection I will be debuting in my shop JESABEL home once I return to the States will feature stylish Vintage Parisian clothing finds, art and decor. ​​
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The people watching in Paris is top notch, so it's also been lovely baring witness to love in Paris. It's so refreshing that Parisians aren't shy about self-expressing love. Capturing organic sweet moments between couples has been such a beautiful way to bring the song to life.
It's been like living in my own movie here, immersing fully in French culture and the magical spell Paris seems to cast. I feel it.
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WILD FACT: Paris was literally on fire when we started our photoshoot. So there's several shots and video with the billowing smoke strewn across the sky. We learned later it was a plant fire and no one was harmed thankfully! But, the images do perfectly fit lyrics in the bridge that says "set the memories straight on fire."
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If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me at jesabelmusic@gmail.com
I'd be happy to answer them and share more about this special tune.