Ever wondered why you crave the radio or have a need for your favourite song at certain times in the day? Music engages the neocortex of the brain triggering a sense of calm achieved through increased dopamine levels. This can lead to a euphoric sensation, ultimate happiness, usually achieved in the arms of others at a festival or while running at a 125bpm, or as a catharsis outlet. Had a rough week at work? Fallen out with a friend, stubbed a toe, dropped a pen, struggling with your sense of self? Switch up the sound, scream, cry, shout.

Jack Kendrick is a shouter, because ” as a lot of musicians know, people you’re playing too don’t particularly care about your problems so sometimes I just make sure I say them loudly so people don’t have a choice but to listen. I shout stories about things I’ve done/experienced and I hope that the few people that do listen can relate and put themselves in my shoes”. 

Jack shares himself in his sings in hope that as well as understanding themselves the audience will understand him too. This is especially in his more personal releases such as “Favourite Lie” and “My Bones”. Both are very raw and authentic, the sound of Jack’s soul, sticking close to the first drafts lyrically and allowing a telescope into Jack’s mentality, if you’re in need of knowing how these songs go you’ll have to attend one of Jack’s shows as they’re not yet released.

His most recent release, Untold truths, came about because Jack was compared to Frank Turner, Corey Taylor, and Gary Lightbody  and who he had seen as inspirations, trying to emulate them in his sound before realising he could never be the giants he looked upon but he could be as genuine and authentic as being honest and raw with himself and sticking to that.

Music also increases memory retention, an audible de ja vu, Jack recalls a particular memory from his days in a band. “Despite playing in a rough Boston pub we played the song “Gay Bar” by Electric Six.As the bassist was singing it we was going around the pub strip teasing the patrons and, at one point, he wrapped his shirt around this mountain of a man. We were terrified for the rest of the gig because the guy just wouldn’t stop staring at us, looked like he wanted to kill us. The set ended and we were trying so hard to pack down as quickly as possible when the mountain walks over and crumbles into laughter saying that no one who’s ever played there has ever even attempted to include the audience like we did and he ended up buying us all drinks and was genuinely a nice person” evidencing music can melt our borders, remove judgement and bring us together.

Jack is also lead vocalist for Morning Theory band and After Atlantis. Read more about After Atlantis here.

Songs can also improve our immune systems by decreasing stress, boosting self-esteem and boost short term confidence. For Jack, music became a safe space. He started performing for people when he was just 12 , preparing him for his first paid gig at the age of fifteen and he hasn’t looked back since. This ingrained impetus has found him discovered on BBC Introducing as well as being one of their featured artists and having 33 monthly listeners on spotify.

The 11 years of giving has helped jack learn to express himself and his emotions when words haven’t been enough. The sound has united him with like-minded people as well as himself. Sometimes music is the greatest communicator, the closest we have to telepathy, the lyrics could be coded or clear, but we all find our own meaning, ourselves in the singing, we become the ones on stage and the musician in the crowd, learning to look up at themselves instead of down, am immersive role reversal which allows listener and listened to, to be understood.