Art is not about creating colorful masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Starry Night or carving life into sculptures like David and the Thinker. Art encompasses a large spectrum of media including music and fashion. Artists do not even have to limit themselves to using a paintbrush or chisel; Facebook provides evidence that people can create portraits using sand and chandeliers out of plastic spoons. For Parkersburg musician Jake Eddy, an iPhone is all you need to record a full-length album.

Most singer-songwriters hit the studio when they are ready to lay down some tracks. They pull out their Martin guitar, give it a tune up and sit down in front of the microphone while a producer starts mixing on the soundboard. However, when creating the multi-genre album, “Smart, Phone!” Jake simply pressed record on his Apple device.

 “I hope that I can be a trendsetter, but I just want people to be aware that you can produce good quality music with simple technology. This is an idea that will take some warming up to. Yet, it takes people to be willing to be uncomfortable and go above the learning curve to accept and start generating new art,” Jake said.

“Smart, Phone!” releases April 21 on merfrecords.com; however, the first single drops on April 1 (April Fool’s Day). As stated before, this album will feature genres across the board including, bluegrass, funk, jazz, Latin and pop. Ultimately, Jake would like to put this record in the hands of Apple executives.

“Because the album was made from beginning to end using Apple’s software, it has so much marketing potential. I hope the company and other musicians understand the ease and accessibility the music editing software Garage Band offers in making fresh art,” Jake said.

Jake comes from a long line of musicians. His mother, Mary, was a member of the regional band called “The Janes.” After realizing that phones are an integral part of everyone’s lives, Jake decided to combine his talent with technology. Thus, “Smart, Phone!” was born.

While it may sound easy to hit a button and start arranging a song, this became a time consuming process for the 17-year-old composer. Not only did Jake write each song, but he had to record each instrument separately before combining them into one track.

“It turned out to be lots of takes and retakes, but there’s a real science to it, and it has been one of the most refreshing projects I’ve done. Musicians want to produce a comfortable sound, which ends up being the same old lukewarm tunes in the same old studio setting. Somebody needed to change that, and I thought that somebody could be me,” Jake said.

An uncomfortable topic that many artists stray from is politics. Many do not let their opinions leak into their lyrics for fear of rejection from an audience.

“Over the years, I’ve tried to remain neutral on politics. You really try to do your music for the people, but at some point, you have to realize you need to start doing things for yourself. I just decided I have a voice, and I would use it,” Jake said.

For more information on “Smart, Phone!,” or to learn more about this local musician, check out the Jake Eddy Facebook page.

X