Australian pop prodigy Jake Marra has spent the past few years mastering the internet with YouTube covers and Ariana Grande-approved mashups. Now, he’s finally come out with his debut single, ‘The Day That You Left’, a slice of moody, synthpop that burns with intense emotion and luscious production. It is a masterclass in the art of cry-dance anthems.
“The Day That You Left is the product of all the failed relationships I’ve experienced in my life. It focuses on the denial that floods in when somebody is no longer in your life and the harsh wave of emotions that comes with it. Whether it be a falling out with a friend, a break-up, or a death, most of us have experienced the feelings that come with losing somebody,” Jake explains.
To celebrate Jake’s dizzying debut, we sent him through a few burning “Get To Know” questions. So listen to the track below, and prepare for an intense session of bawling your eyes out but in a fun way.
Listen: Jake Marra – ‘The Day You Left’
How did your artist name come about?
I thought about coming up with a proper artist name to separate “artist me” from the “real me”, but I want them to be one in the same. Besides, having two separate personas sounds way too EXHAUSTING. Jake Marra the artist is just an extension of Jake Marra.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
I’d definitely need my mum’s help with that one because I don’t know how to say “Certified Pop Bangers with relatable lyrical content” in Serbian!
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles and what they’re about?
My debut single, “The Day That You Left” is basically the product of all the failed relationships I’ve experienced in my life (she’s been THROUGH it, honey). It outlines the denial you can’t help but experience when somebody is no longer in your life, plus the wave of emotions that comes with that. Most of us have experienced the feelings that come with losing somebody and I wanted to channel that into a dark, pulsating synth-pop track that you can still bop along to AND cry your eyes out to. Giving you the full Hannah Montana experience (Get it? Because it’s the best of both worlds? Sorry, I’ll leave).
Career highlight so far?
In 2015, I produced a mashup of Ariana Grande’s “One Last Time” and Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?”. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, I just uploaded my mashups to my YouTube channel (which has since been deleted due to YouTube’s annoyingly strict copyright regulations back then), replied to a few nice comments from subscribers, and was on my way. THEN it went viral. I had articles written about me by Billboard, MTV and Teen Vogue.
In an interview with Ariana Grande, Ryan Seacrest asked if she’d heard it, to which she replied “I’m obsessed with it! Whoever did that is a genius”.Are you kidding?! Ariana Grande, one of the biggest musical artists on the planet, calling me a genius? I’ll TAKE it.
Fave non-music hobby?
At the moment, it’s watching Grey’s Anatomy. I literally can’t stop. Seriously, I’ve watched 6 seasons in such a short amount of time I’m almost embarrassed, Almost…
What’s on your dream rider?
Listen, I’m a simple man, I have simple needs. Give me a KFC Zinger Stacker Box with extra seasoning on the chips and a Pepsi Max for the drink and I’m LIVING.
Dream music collaboration?
Max Martin. Hands down. That man is a genius. He is the reason I fell in love with Pop music. First, he got me hooked with his work in the late 90s/early 2000s with The Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, and to this day has kept me hooked with his tracks for Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. The man just gets it. If I ever get to release a track co-written/produced by Max Martin, I can die a happy man.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
36 years old, happily married, a few dogs and cats running around (even though I’m very allergic), travelling the world and still releasing the high-quality bops that people have come to know and love!
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Oops… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. Not only do I get to serve you vocals, but you better believe I’m going to give you an Oscar-worthy performance of the dialogue in the bridge, BOTH parts.
What’s on the cards for the future?
I’m still in the early stages of my solo musical journey and I have no idea where it’s going to take me, which is terrifying and exciting. Definitely going to release another single or two this year, but apart from that, we’ll have to wait and see.
