Jaco Jaco’s Jacob Theriot dives deep into his funk-infused sophomore album ‘Gremlin,’ reflecting on growth, creative control, and finding clarity in life’s ever-shifting tides.

Stream: ‘Gremlin’ – Jaco Jaco

Jacob Theriot, aka Jaco Jaco, is embracing a new season of life.

As a young yet already seasoned musician – he’s played bass with his brother in beloved indie rock band Sports since he was a teen – Theriot is learning to get comfortable with the shifting tides of his career.

Just a few days shy of releasing his sophomore solo record Gremlin, the Oklahoma-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has freshly moved into a new Philadelphia home. “It’s a relief,” Theriot says, speaking of both the move and the release of his new record. “I’m relieved and happy with the feedback I’ve been getting on this album, and I’m happy to be in this new space.”

Gremlin - Jaco Jaco — Gremlin – Jaco Jaco

Jacob Theriot wears many hats, from instrumentalist, to songwriter, to producer, and his record Gremlin perfectly encapsulates each of these roles. As stated in his press release, Theriot straddles genres: A little funk, a little psych, a little dreamy ’70s AM rock.

The follow up to Jaco Jaco’s 2024 debut, Splat, Gremlin is a playful, elegant record that isn’t directly inspired by the movie Gremlins, but honors the movie’s use of kitsch and camps to explore a prevailing mood of irreverence and introspection. It’s also a visual marvel that is aesthetically inspired by the early ‘90s sitcom “Dinosaurs,” Les Blank docs, and the world of alternative comic books.

Above all else, Gremlin is a mature work from an artist who has been perfecting his craft for his entire life. “It’s written in the third person,” Theriot says, “but really it’s in the first person. It’s a form of therapy. It’s like journaling.”

In the midst of settling into his new place, Theriot sat down with Atwood Magazine to talk about all things Gremlin and what he’s looking forward to next as a solo artist.

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:: stream/purchase Gremlin here ::

:: connect with Jaco Jaco here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH JACO JACO

Atwood Magazine: First, I just wanted to say congratulations on a really beautiful record! How does it feel to have it out? How has this release week been?

Jaco Jaco: It’s been really good. The feedback has been really nice. It feels good to finally have it out. It’s always a strange thing releasing music, and I’ve been doing it for so long, just not as myself. So it’s been interesting navigating that. But the more I do it, the easier it gets.

How has your experience been playing solo? How would you say it’s different from being in a band?

Jaco Jaco: I started playing when I was 12, and it was always with my brother. And then eventually, I started playing with him and the other guy in Sports. So my whole life was basically with them. Everything was with them. I think the biggest difference is you just don’t necessarily have someone to celebrate with you. Like, I have Rasheed in my management to celebrate things with, but you just have to learn how to be excited about things on your own. There’s a little bit more pressure too, which is interesting. You can’t really put the blame on anyone else but yourself. I think that’s really the biggest difference. It’s just you. It’s kind of nice. It feels more personal, I think.

I think there definitely is more pressure in a way, and you sort of have to learn to appreciate your own opinion. I feel like when you’re in a band, it’s easier and almost necessary to lean on your bandmates opinions, because you all are sharing the music together. But when you’re by yourself, you have to find confidence in prioritizing your own voice.

Jaco Jaco: Yeah, you have to trust your gut and your intuition instead of asking someone, “What do you think?” I do kind of miss that in a way. But also, I like control. So this life works for me. I’m fine with it.

Who are some of the people you worked on this record with?

Jaco Jaco: My longtime collaborator, Chad Copeland, mixed it, and we tracked drums at his studio in Oklahoma. I met a drummer here [in Philadelphia]. His name’s Jim Seidel, and he’s somehow the best drummer I know. We became great friends, and he’s actually playing in my live band as well. I bought us both plane tickets, and I had just pre-programmed drum ideas on the record. We both flew out to Oklahoma last summer and tracked all the drums there. So it was just them two really.

Wow, it sounds like it was a super intimate recording experience.

Jaco Jaco: Yeah, I think me and Chad have such a long history that it’s just natural at this point. I will forever trust his opinion on everything. So it’s nice that we’re like that, and he just gets it. I felt that way about Jim as well. He just understood without me having to really say much or do much. It just was very natural.

Gremlin is a record filled with so much soul, and there’s some funk infused into it too. On my first listen, it reminded me of a lot of the old school music I grew up on, and I was instantly drawn to it. How did this record start? What was the starting point, and was it always headed in a funk direction?

Jaco Jaco: I think the first song that I wrote for this one was “Woman.” I think that’s probably where it started. And I think that song started from a drum loop I found, and then I just started playing this guitar riff over it, and then played another guitar riff over that one. Then, I added bass, and I was like, “Okay, well, this is something.” At that point, I think I had just started listening to “Black Messiah” by D’Angelo. I was really feeling that kind of sparse production where you just feel the bass. I was really into that, and I think that kind of set the tone for the record. From then on, I wanted it to feel very intentionally produced. I wanted the drums and bass to be a prominent part of the recordings. I gravitate towards funkier stuff. I don’t really know where that comes from. Maybe it comes from starting on bass, the instrument. I think funk’s probably the most fun to play on bass. I always gravitate towards a good bassline, a good drum beat.

That’s so awesome. I didn’t realize you had written all the parts yourself – the guitar riffs, the bass lines, the drum loops, and the vocals. That’s amazing!

Jaco Jaco: Yeah, I just find a drum loop and then build it. Usually, I’ll start with just the guitar and vocals, and I’ll write the whole song almost like a folk song. I have each section built out, and then I produce it. If I don’t do that, typically I’ll just get stuck on that part and be like, “Well, what do I do now?” It traps me a little bit. So I have to finish the song, not necessarily the lyrics or anything, but the melodies and the changes in the sections have to be done. Then I have to switch my brain over into producer mode. But if I switch into producer mode too early, sometimes it’s hard to finish the song. I have a ton of unfinished projects because I’ll get ahead of myself.

You’re wearing so many hats. It’s really incredible. I didn’t realize you were controlling so much of it behind the scenes. Where were you mentally while making this album? What kind of state of mind were you in at the time?

Jaco Jaco: I think in the beginning, I wasn’t feeling super confident at all about anything. I think it had just a little bit to do with where I was living. I was starting to feel stuck. Being an artist can be a little bit stressful. It’s not a 9 to 5 job, which would be nice to have, but I also know I would hate it. In the beginning, I was feeling pretty down and confused. I was like, “Man, should I be doing this?” And then I told myself that I want to put these songs out, and we’ll see where it goes. Looking back now, I’m so glad I did, and I can’t believe I ever questioned it. I think I kind of hit my stride with this album, so I’m excited to keep going. Things started looking up a little bit towards the end. I think that’s when I started writing “I Won’t Bother” and maybe “Gremlin World” too. I was coming to terms with everything. And now I’m no longer living in that part of town and feeling stuck anymore. Life comes in waves. It’s a pendulum. I think that time was valuable, and I’m happy with what came of it.

That’s beautiful. Sometimes questioning everything is part of the process. Where did the title “Gremlin” come from?

Jaco Jaco: It came when I was writing “Gremlin World.” At the time, I was using a photo of a Yeti or something for the demos. I had a demo folder, and that was the album cover for it. I remember my mixer Chad opened it up, and he was like, “You could easily make something like that.” I’m always thinking about how I’m going to do everything visually. After I got back from Oklahoma and tracked all the songs, I started working on the visuals. My partner had a box of clay, because she was trying to get into making clay. I tried my hand at making one of those, and it just kind of started falling into place, which is how all my projects have been, even with Sports. I just chase an idea and see where it goes. So I guess that’s the answer from the visual side of it. From the music side of it, I think I was able to make sense of their meaning under the umbrella name “Gremlin.” The songs deal with a lot of normal life problems and worldly gremlins. It’s kind of a playful way of talking about my demons or when you feel like life is working against you. It sounded fun to personify them in a way.

That's a really beautiful way of putting it. We all have our own little “Gremlins” running around and trying to wreak havoc on our lives. Which song would you say you identify with most right now in your life?

Jaco Jaco: I haven’t listened to it in a bit, actually. I listened to the album when it came out, because I feel like I have to do that. I have to see what it sounds like on Spotify. But then, once it’s out, I kind of just let it go. I’ll reference it for live stuff, like to show my band. But other than that, it’s almost like it’s not even mine anymore. I was a different person. I still identify, but I’m able to make sense of it in a new way, too. I have these moments with my own songs where I’m like, “Oh, that’s what I meant.” Maybe I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s actually what I was going through. It takes a while for it to take shape. I’ve noticed that a lot with songwriting.

That reminds me of a Phoebe Bridgers interview I read recently where she was saying that sometimes she doesn’t even fully understand her own songs when she writes them. But then, she’ll sing them live and see people’s reactions to the lyrics, and it’ll help her understand and process her own music. It’s really interesting how each artist has such a different relationship with their music. Some artists I’ve interviewed feel very strongly connected to their work and identity with it wholeheartedly, while others see it as more of a stamp in time, and they’re just ready to set it free.

Jaco Jaco: I still really strongly identify with this album. I will say, I was really obsessed with these songs. It was at the point where it was getting a little strange. I didn’t want to listen to anything else. It was weird. I kind of felt like a narcissistic person. But when you’re waiting for it to be released, you’re asking yourself, “Is it good enough? Do I like it?” It’s a cycle of going through emotions all the time. But I’m glad it’s out. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

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