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Singer-songwriter Juke. Photo Credit: Yiola Savva.
London-based singer-songwriter Juke chatted about his single “What Your Eyes Say.”
He also discussed his music and songwriting inspirations, and being a part of the digital age..
‘What Your Eyes Say’
On the origin of “What Your Eyes Say,” he said, “Creating the song was spontaneous, cathartic and confessional. The instrumental and the vocals poured out of me in a hurry. It started with the instrumental. I was a student when I made the song and for a number of reasons I was quite overwhelmed. The trigger happened in the campus library at University after exchanging some text messages with a very disturbed person that I cared for.”
“I knew I couldn’t focus on my studies so I put my headphones on and created a little soundscape on my laptop to calm me down. With that, a sad, peaceful piano melody that slowly rises out of an abyss of static ambience was created. I didn’t go back to that instrumental until heartbreak three weeks later,” he said.
“I didn’t have time to sit and think about lyrics because I was busy with my dissertation (final thesis). The first things that came to mind were real conversations that took place, but simplified into rhymes,” he said.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, Juke said, “It feels necessary. So far, most of my music-making experience has been driven by a curiosity around and desire to express strong emotions, often unpleasant ones.”
“More so than that, these emotions come with their own set of imagery that I do my best to translate sonically. For example, the bounciness, simplicity and quirky vocal tones of my song ‘Millennium Baby,’ work for a song that celebrates moving on from a childish heartbreak,” he said.
“Similarly, the sultry, cold backdrop of my song ‘Cigarette Soul’ suits a song centered around the worship of a toxic source of comfort. I try to create a little world around the themes of the songs. I guess it’s just about all the parts of life that feel larger than life, and celebrating them, good or bad,” he added.
Future plans
On his future plans, he remarked, “No matter where I go or what else I do to survive, I plan to keep creating and releasing music as often as I can. I already have about half a decade’s worth of self-produced, unreleased demos, all with different moods and styles.”
“I’ve already created a little community around my music and I am making it my mission to engage with and treat them well. Anything beyond that is up to the opportunities of the future. I don’t want to confuse my plans with aspirations, because that’s where delusion comes from,” he said.
Juke. Photo Credit: Christina Charalambous
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, now with streaming and technology being so prevalent, Juke said, “It’s all I know so I can’t compare it to how it used to be. Although there are amazing benefits, it can feel like shouting for attention in a room full of screaming people. It’s less about the music and more about getting people’s attention.”
“I feel for undiscovered artists on the Internet,” he said. “It can be quite lonely and hopeless trying to imitate whatever formula seems to be working for others. I’m really happy that I did my own thing, celebrating my heritage and my family.”
“With regards to music streaming, it is really weird. It’s hard to compare artists on streams as the worth of a stream depends on its context. A stream can be passive, let’s say the song was just on a public playlist, maybe the artist paid to be on that playlist,” he explained.
“A stream can also be really meaningful, let’s say someone felt they needed to hear a song and went to Spotify to look for it. Either way, streams alone don’t pay unless you really blow up. So you have to do it because you love it,” he added.
Greek-Cypriot heritage
While he lives in London, he spoke about his Greek-Cypriot heritage. “Both my parents are Greek Cypriot. My mom had to move to England from Famagusta in 1974, and my dad was born and raised in North London to first generation Cypriot parents,” he said.
“My maternal grandmother always spoke to us in Greek. My whole life I’ve been around the language, food and music. Having grandparents who live in Cyprus also meant that I had a second home there. It was a bit of a paradise land in my head as a child,” he said.
Dream collaboration choices in music
Regarding his dream collaboration choices in music, Juke said, “I started making a list and it got ridiculous. So I will stick to two names. The Weeknd and Billie Eilish. As a teenager I was obsessed with The Weeknd. His music really inspired me as I got into making music and defined how I sang for years.”
“Billie Eilish inspired me loads in the last two years. She’s awesome. I feel like our music sits in similar spaces. I also love how both artists have a very eclectic, hard to define, sound,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “This is a really good question, because success means different things in different contexts. You can be a successful musician and not a successful artist, or a successful artist and not a successful person. But to me in this moment of my life, success would look artistic and financial. It’s important to distinguish the two.”
He continued, “Of course, I want the freedom and stability that comes with financial success, but I won’t feel like a success if my music doesn’t move people the way my favorite music moves me, or more.”
“Putting that magic in the world makes anyone some form of a success. I have a suspicion that when I’m older my definition of success will expand and make more room for personal successes, like gratitude and appreciating the people and experiences around me before they go. I’m working on that,” he acknowledged.
Closing thoughts on ‘What Your Eyes Say’
Juke remarked about his new single, “I’ve never made a song like this before. I didn’t put drums or unnecessary repetition to make you move about loads or get it stuck in your head. But I made an effort to give it delicate textures to tickle your ears. I want this song to be your own, timeless little peaceful place to reflect.”
“If you find yourself relating to the song then maybe this quote by W.H. Auden might work for you: ‘If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me.,” he concluded.
“What Your Eyes Say” is available for pre-save on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about singer-songwriter Juke, follow him on Instagram.
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