With Valentine’s Day peeking around the corner, a lot of us are turning to music to comfort ourselves. Whether you’re single, taken or somewhere in between, there are songs that can describe all of the ups and downs that come with love.
One thing that most people can relate to is longing for the right person to come along. Just like in his recent single “I Just Wanna Be Loved,” JORDY is open about the struggles that come with waiting patiently for that one person to be in your life.
JORDY, a Los Angeles based musician born in the suburbs of Chicago has gained more attention lately from his Tik Toks, where he shares snip bits of songs that he’s been working on. The demo that has caught many users attention was posted on February 2nd, about feeling connected to someone who’s far away, but it being worth the distance instead of settling for someone close by.
In just 24 hours of the video being up, many users pleaded for him to release the song.
I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his writing process, upcoming music and growing community on Tik Tok.
When did you first start pursuing music?
Jordy has continuously performed and sang throughout his life, but he started writing more throughout college.
“I really started pursuing music probably when I moved to LA like three years ago now. I graduated school on the east coast and was in a relationship. We broke up and then I moved straight to LA and just started writing as many songs as I could.”
What artists did you look up to while growing up?
When he was younger he loved artists such as Hillary Duff, Avril Lavine, Michelle Branch, Britney Spears, and the Spice Girls.
“…and then I feel like as I got older when I was in high school I feel like Sam Smith started to become super influential and singers like Adele. It evolves every year. But a lot of badass ladies, when I was a kid that’s who I looked up to the most.”
How did they influence the way you write today?
“Honestly I feel like the reason why I was so drawn to those female artists because they were always wearing their heart on their sleeve. I feel like it was like frowned upon for men when I was a kid you know. It just wasn’t the manly thing to be vulnerable. It wasn’t a manly thing to express emotion. It sounds funny but I listen to “Come Clean” by Hilary Duff and just cry in my room and just listen to ‘Miss You” by Avril and just hear these emotional lyrics and I feel like now that’s what I try to tap into the most. It’s just being vulnerable and as honest as I can.”
You’ve recently released a new single “I Just Wanna Be Loved.” What is your favorite thing about the track?
While recounting just a normal day hanging out with friends going to Target and decorating, JORDY continued on about the moment when:
“I get a text from this guy who I was starting to develop feelings for and he was basically telling me he didn’t feel the same. So I got super upset. [My friend] walks in and I’m like crying and then I call my college friends — where in the song I say “callin’ up my friends ask what’s wrong with me,” I literally I called my two best friends from college, cried to them.”
He talked about how he, his friend Austin and their producer needed to write something because he was…
“feeling a certain type of way and we literally get in my bed and we Zoom Drew [producer] and we just literally, like I recorded the vocal[s]. Everything was recorded in my bed – like mid tears. But it’s such a happy sounding song, so the whole experience like was really magical. It happened so spontaneously and it’s just moments like that that always amaze me. I’ll cherish them forever.”
“I honestly would maybe like put it under it’s complicated because it’s like this, this sh*t’s complicated. We want to be loved but then we want to be independent and single and like flirty and thriving and then we want to be loved again so it’s like it’s complicated.”
Lately you’ve been gaining more of a following on Tik Tok, how does the community affect the music industry from your personal experience?
“It’s crazy for a while, I was super anxious about the whole Tik Tok thing because I kept like trying to do stuff and nothing was landing.”
He continued on about how none of his videos were getting more attention as he’d expected and while he was home visiting family this past December, “I was just sitting on this one demo that I still really love and I was like it’s sad because there might never be a home for this song, and I was like well, maybe I should just post it on Tik Tok and see what happens…so I posted it and people started really responding.”
Over time the format of him just singing unreleased songs into his mic on Tik Tok started gaining more and more attention.
“For a while Tik Tok was a source of stress, but now I look at it as a beautiful way of life free promo. It’s just kind of awesome.”
In your recent Tik Tok you sang about falling in love from across the country, what’s the story behind that?
“This guy, he messaged me on Instagram and at first, I was a little skeptical. I was like ehh I don’t know. There was like a flirty message and he was like, “if you ever want to hit me up like feel free.” So I texted my roommates and I was like, “should I really talk to this guy,” and they were like, “Just do it! Like there’s no harm.” So, we ended up talking for a bit and I went to visit him, and it was like a whole thing…”
“…Honestly, it was like a really beautiful lovely thing and a really lovely reminder to me that, love is out there and like you know that I’m capable of feeling those feelings, you know because being single can be hard…”
“…We’re not together but there’s no bad energy, no hard feelings. It’s just you know it’s complicated – living across the country. It was a really beautiful experience…”
“…It made a really lovely song, so I’m really excited for people to hear the rest. I guess, a lot of people out there are really relating to it, and I think it makes sense because we’re living in such a world of isolation and sometimes the only way we can connect with people is online.”
When do you think audiences will be able to stream it?
“Hopefully before the end of the month, so we’re moving, we’re moving.”
What do you hope your audiences feel when listening to your music?
“My goal is always to make people feel seen and heard…”
“…I don’t know, I feel lucky that I’m so comfy just putting everything out on the table and being super vulnerable and being super specific like with songs like ‘Long Distance.’”
“…It’s funny I don’t know, especially when I put out, “I Just Wanna be Loved.” I remember sending my sister an anxious text like, “Does this song make me seem pathetic, single and just undesirable?” She was like, “No, like this is like what makes you so incredible and desirable and like…it’s hard for people to be honest with their emotions and to be vulnerable with their emotions. So my goal is to always be that with my music as much as I can to speak for those who don’t really feel like they have the power to do it yet.”
You write a good amount of songs about relationships, what advice do you have for someone who’s not feeling the love around this time of year?
“I will be single on Valentine’s Day this year too. My thing is always like it’s so much easier said than done, and it’s okay to feel sad and it’s okay to feel lonely because we all do. But I think that it takes a lot of energy, out of a human, to be constantly searching for the one…”
“… I think that we don’t really realize as we’re doing it, how much energy it’s taking up and I think a lot of that energy can be placed inwardly towards yourself, and I think at the end of the day, the relationships that haven’t worked out for me are mostly because I wasn’t at a place myself, where I was you know loving myself the way I should be…”
“…and so, if you’re alone on Valentine’s Day this year, make yourself like a yummy dinner, watch your favorite show, like you’re hot. You’re young, wild and free and screw it like the right person will come, eventually. But, like, for now, take advantage of this time you have alone because it won’t be forever.”
This week is love week – what is something you are loving right now?
“I’m loving the season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, so if people you know need a good new show, this season is super fun so I highly recommend [it]. Music wise…there’s a new song that I haven’t stopped listening to by this new girl punk pop band called Tramp Stamps and they just put out a song called “Sex with Me” and especially for all the ladies reading or listening to this where you guys are like highly recommend it’s amazing.”
For more content from JORDY, you can find him at the links below: