Alternative New Artist Discovery Of The Week
VIP Access. Let’s meet Jonah Kagen.
| ARTIST | Jonah Kagen |
|---|---|
| SONG | “God Needs The Devil” |
| LABEL | Arista |
| ORIGIN | Savannah, GA |
1. Please introduce yourself and give us the backstory on how you got started.
My name is Jonah Kagen! My first introduction to music was via my grandfather, who was the drummer and singer of a band called The Offbeats. The guitarist in the band was Danny Gatton, who became a massive inspiration for me, as my grandfather always idolized his playing. That got me into guitar, and I later fell in love with songwriting and production.
2. How would you describe your music?
I usually say it’s somewhere between folk, americana, and country music. I don’t think it’s fully any one of those things necessarily, but I really try to focus on that “rootsy” sound, so to speak.
3. Who are your biggest influences?
My influences often change depending on what I’m listening to, but my longest standing influences are Andy Mckee, John Mayer, Townes Van Zandt, Zach Bryan, and Noah Kahan.
4. What was the inspiration behind your current single?
“God Needs The Devil” is a song about the human condition. It’s the persisting struggle to be good while having a dependence, or at least a false sense of dependence, on something evil. It means so much to me, and I hope you can find some piece of yourself in it.
5. What would surprise people most about you?
I think I’m a way brighter person than my songs might reflect. My sound is often very dark, but I’m very rarely serious about anything.
