"You're stuck on a waiting list, waiting for someone or something to fix your problems," JAKE said.
"It also relates to the current space the world is in at the moment. I think a lot of us feel stuck in the middle of waiting for life to get back to normal and how it once was, and we're unsure what the future looks like."
'Waiting List' was produced and mixed by the award-winning Simon Gooding, who JAKE first teamed up with at APRA's inaugural Hawke's Bay Songhubs in late 2020.
This led to Simon and JAKE working together again in 2021, when Simon received NZOA's Artist Development Fund, aimed at pairing producers with emerging artists.
"Simon and I spent about five days in the studio together - three days creating six or so demos and the next two days refining the stronger ideas. With 'Waiting List' we made a few different versions and decided to blend two of those to make the track we have now," says JAKE.
The song is accompanied by a gritty video shot by award-winning director Connor Pritchard.
"I was in Auckland recording with Simon and saw Connor had posted on Instagram that he had a few slots coming up. I flicked him a message and he said 'Let's do it!"
"We shot the whole thing in a few hours as the sun started to set. It's just me with the backdrop of the city. I think it captures the vibe conveyed in the song very well - cruisy but also a little moody, with an element of surprise that you'll hear halfway through where the beat switches up."
JAKE says this there's a lot of stuff to be excited about at the moment.
"There's a bunch of firsts coming up for me as this is just the beginning. I've written more songs, and the next one will be released at the end of January."
JAKE started his career as a graphic artist but says music has always been a big part of his life.
"I was working full-time as a designer and have made a switch to a more physical job to make time for my music in the last few years"
"I sang in the choir in primary school for one or two years so I always knew I could sing but it was a bit later in life when I was introduced to hip hop and started freestyling, which lead me to wanting to write music."
He says hip hop and NZ reggae have influenced his style. "Katchafire and Kora, are great as well as a lot of Tom Scott back in the day."
"I've kept my songs to myself because it was important to me to get it right. Now that the ball is rolling with "Waiting List" , I'm excited to be releasing more in the near future."
Listen to Jake's 'Waiting List' here https://smarturl.it/waitingjake
Follow JAKE: https://www.instagram.com/jakemrphy https://www.facebook.com/jakemrphy
