Meet The Interdimensional Artist Jerry Paper
Lucas Nathan, otherwise known as Jerry Paper, is an experimental pop artist that’s casting his spell on the music community. The Los Angeles native has been heavily immersed in music since he was a child. Between learning several instruments as a kid, and joining a few bands while in school it wasn’t until his encounter with a friend’s synthesizer that his love for music – specifically the electronica genre– fully bloomed. Since 2009 Jerry Paper has weaved his way through the music sphere, starting out with his project Zonotope™. Over the years Nathan sound, style and overall artistry adapted, leading him to discover his self-proclaimed “interdimensional” persona, Jerry Paper. Fast forward to 2020 and the singer-songwriter has released seven albums and collaborated with some of music’s hottest talent. With his new album ‘Abracadabra’ making the rounds and his eccentric video for his feel-good record ‘Cholla’ gathering traction on YouTube, Jerry Paper is ringing in a new era of music that must be heard.
We were able to chat with Jerry about everything from the creation of ‘Abracadabra’, his unique music videos and more…
Your video for ‘Cholla’ is fantastic! Can you take us through the imagery?
Thank you! Better to just watch it and ride the ride, any explication will just sap its magic.
It seems that you and your long-time collaborator Steve Smith create videos that have a quirky and light-hearted style. What’s an average brainstorm session like for you two?
Often Steve will tell me an idea he has over the phone, and I won’t understand it, but I say “hey buddy, do your frickin thing”, and then he comes back with something excellent. That’s kinda what happened with this vid, he had an idea, and I just said “listen, have fun, I’m sure it’ll be great” and, guess what, it is! I like collaborating with people whose aesthetic and comedic decisions I trust, I feel like the more freedom someone has while making something, the better the work will be and the more they will enjoy making it. When I collaborate with someone who doesn’t line up with my way of seeing the world, I find myself having to give a ton of notes and ultimately, both of us are dissatisfied by the end. It is a blessing to find collaborators you can trust, and I certainly have that in Steve.
Ok, we need to talk about your fantastic new album project ‘Abracadabra’! Can you take us into the creative process for the record?
Thank you! I spent a while just playing music, just enjoying the process of letting the music flow through me and recording it. Music is a very special thing that can get mucked up with all sorts of internal and external expectations and pressures, so I have to maintain my connection to the freedom that just playing affords me. After about a year and a half of recording my playtime, I combed the many bits I had and fleshed the best ones out into full MIDI arrangements. Then I went into the studio and re-recorded all these MIDI demos with a drummer, Evan Cartwright (who is a wonderful person and excellent drummer), and all the other pleasures that the studio offered. I love Steely Dan so it was really fun to approach this one trying to make it as hi-fi as I could with the means available to me.
When choosing the title of the album, what drew you to ‘Abracadabra’?
I have been fortunate enough to spend the last couple of years in psychoanalysis and have really embraced talking through my feelings in a way that I was always uncomfortable with before. I always thought I had to know what I was feeling before I spoke about it, but I’ve come to embrace speaking as a process that helps one understand their feelings. When I was doing a little amateur internet surfing, I came across some of the speculative etymology of the phrase Abracadabra, and it really hit home with me. Some folks think that it comes from an Aramaic phrase meaning “It is created through my words” and that just struck me very deeply. It felt representative of what was happening in my life while writing these songs, and it directly ties in with the song “Spit It Out” which is about just that.
The sound of the record is so smooth, and each track effortlessly flows with each other. How does this album differ from your previous records?
I don’t know! I try to leave the analysis to other folks. For me, I’m just enjoying exploring new ways of approaching music. I will continue to explore, and my albums will continue to change, just like I will continue to change as a person! Life’s a process, baby.
Describe ‘Abracadabra’ in 5 words or less.
A futile attempt at freedom
A little off-topic, but how have you been handling the quarantine life? What does your daily routine look like?
Emotional chaos. Bouts of depression. Bouts of joy. It’s complicated.
If you could self-isolate with any artist who would it be and what would an average day look like for you?
I mean, if we’re talking fantasy scenarios I’d just love to NOT self-isolate.
Back to music, what can your fans expect from the coming months musically?
What can anyone expect from the future? Only disappointment.
Watch Jerry Paper’s latest video for his track ‘Cholla’ below…
