jrdfllrmn’s latest track is a dizzy daydream of angst and yearning that almost makes me miss my last situationship.
jrdfllrmn, the multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter from Youngstown, Ohio, can truly do it all.
His insane talent shines through on his latest hypnotic single ‘familiar face’, out now.
The catchy indie pop gem is relatable in its exploration of longing and loss, all soundtracked by a strong melody, driving beat, and addictive bassline.
The love child of Conan Gray, Ricky Montgomery, and Tame Impala, if you do one thing today, you have to check out this awesome emerging talent.
We caught up with jrdfllrmn to chat about the production behind his latest single and his creative journey as an artist.
Read the full interview with jrdfllrmn below, and scroll down to listen to ‘familiar face’.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
JRDFLLRMN: I spent the day mixing a new track for another artist’s upcoming album that I am producing!
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you live, what do you love about it?
JRDFLLRMN: I live in Youngstown, Ohio. I love that Youngstown has a massive metropark, which is quite important to the area.
My house is near a smaller division of it and I walk through it regularly in the warmer months. Youngstown also has great pizza selections. The cost of living is pretty great, too.
HAPPY: Your track “Familiar Face” is a catchy indie pop gem. Can you tell us about your approach to crafting infectious melodies and hooks?
JRDFLLRMN: Thank you! I think it’s beneficial for a song to have a bunch of melodies happening at once, whether it’s harmonising the main melody or having unique lines being performed simultaneously.
I feel like that ensures that at least one of them is good enough to stick with the listener. But, more importantly, I try to make sure the melody really fits the mood of the song.
If it doesn’t, then people won’t remember it for a positive reason.
HAPPY: The song’s simplicity is a testament to its power. How do you balance simplicity with depth in your music?
JRDFLLRMN: “familiar face” is definitely one of the more “pop” songs that I wrote for “albatross,” but I think it’s vital for my songs to be well-written enough that the chords, melodies, and lyrics stand on their own without any extra instrumentation or production to mask those fundamental parts.
I’m really trying to strengthen that going forward. If the songs are good enough as compositions, then the production can add more depth and complexity to the track.
HAPPY: Your vocals are both familiar and distinctive. Can you share some insights into your vocal approach and inspirations?
JRDFLLRMN: I really appreciate the compliment regarding the vocals because I have never had any vocal training before! The symptom to that, though, is that I am very self conscious about my singing abilities. That’s a slight reason as to why the vocals are rather obscured on each of the tracks.
However, I also am a big fan of how vocals fit into more shoegaze-y songs, which were very influential to me while making this record.
My approach was to get the best take that I could and give it a spot in the mix where it was present, but also distant enough to give it a unique quality.
HAPPY: “Familiar Face” explores longing and loss. Can you talk about your lyrical process and how you tap into emotional themes?
JRDFLLRMN: My lyrical process typically involves overthinking lines and imagining how they would sound if somebody else was singing them.
I usually start by crafting the vocal’s melody first, as I prefer to have a set note sequence to put lines to. The downside of that approach, in my opinion, is it can lead to using the same rhyme structures over and over or really forcing phrases into the melody.
This is another thing I really try to be mindful of when writing, because bad lyrics can really destroy an otherwise solid song. I recall having the first line of the chorus pop in my head while I was in the shower and sitting in a recliner while conjuring up the “Spending every night just growing numb…” line in my head.
It’s funny how seemingly unimportant details like that help you remember things.
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HAPPY: The production on “Familiar Face” leans towards a lo-fi aesthetic while still sounding polished. Can you walk us through your production process and influences?
JRDFLLRMN: I like to write instrumental parts while I’m recording the song. Sometimes there are certain parts or sounds that you just know are going to be on the final track, and those are easy places to start. “familiar face” was not one of those songs, though.
I remember coming up with the verse chords first and quickly writing with the bassline much later. I like to experiment with sounds when producing.
I think panning is crucial to making an interesting sound. I also am a fan of multitracking parts with different textures/chords and having sounds change over the course of a track, like filter adjustments or bringing new parts in to grow the sound.
The most important thing is that the song doesn’t just end without developing or changing in at least some way, I think.
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HAPPY: Your sound draws comparisons to artists like Conan Gray and Tame Impala. Who are some of your biggest influences, and how do they shape your music?
JRDFLLRMN: Tame Impala was a huge influence on how I approached making sounds for the album. Beach House, my bloody valentine, The Flaming Lips, and Prince also come to mind.
That’s a lot of what I was listening to while recording the album.
I wanted to try to combine the things I really liked listening to into one on the record. I think it turned out pretty cohesive and meshed decently.
HAPPY: “Familiar Face” is a promising debut. Can you share some insights into your creative journey leading up to this release?
JRDFLLRMN: I first toyed with the idea of songwriting around three years ago, when I started just writing things in my basement alone. I revisited some of those practically embryonic ideas later for this album, with “familiar face” being one of them. I really got serious about it in the fall of 2022, when I started writing for this album.
I’m unsure if I’ve progressed much over these years, but I hope on future releases I show some real growth. Only time will tell, though.
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HAPPY: What’s next for jrdfllrmn? Are there any upcoming releases or projects that you’re excited about?
JRDFLLRMN: Well, “jrdfllrmn” doesn’t have any new music on the radar at the moment (though I am trying to write new material when I can).
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been handling production on an upcoming album for another local artist from Youngstown! Her name is Riley Burke and she is a fantastic writer and singer. She has already released a song from our sessions titled “Getting Used To You,” which turned out lovely.
I’m quite excited with how this record is turning out. I am eager to see it be released.
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
JRDFLLRMN: Doing interviews for Happy Mag, of course!
Also making new music, walks in nature, being with close friends, and completely losing my mind over synthesizers.
I recently acquired a Juno-6 that has some of the best-feeling buttons I’ve ever pressed.
