Jake Allen
FILM GALLERY
AFFIRMATION DAY - BEHIND THE ALBUM VIDEO
Originally used as the album fundraiser's video accompaniment, this behind "Affirmation Day" video delves into the genesis and thought process behind Jake Allen's fourth record.
Jake Allen returns with a new album that harnesses the experience he’s gained from two years of touring the world solo, weathering a family death, and shifting his perspectives through shamanic ceremonies. Building on his refined multi-instrumental and fingerstyle guitar skills, Allen’s new prog/folk/alt offering takes listeners on an introspective ride into themes of light vs. dark and beyond. Written in isolation in Lithuania with just his acoustic guitar and voice, Allen brings it home with his colorful productions on top of a natural and honest foundation.
TWO FACED - MUSIC VIDEO
Stop motion animation by Mokhtar Talaat (Gamela Studio)
Concept and storyboards by Jake Allen
"When I wrote Two Faced I had started seeing this stop motion video playing out in my head. I drew out the story boards and started seeking out an animator that could bring it to life. I found Mokhtar's work online and knew he could make it happen. Throughout the pandemic he chipped away at the project and produced something all on his own that would challenge a full team of animators. This video was made possible by the Affirmation Day Indiegogo fundraiser donators."
ON THE RUN - MUSIC VIDEO
Directed by Jake Burgess at Cardboard Robot Visuals
Screenplay written and produced by Jake Allen
Pitted against the song's more internal identity crisis themes, the video for On The Run plays with exaggerated caricatures of the many faces we often feverishly migrate between.
"I wanted to make something that acknowledged both the subtle and overt forms of con artistry we witness within the world. From the slight of hand to the blatantly obvious, this Bonnie and Clyde like, trickster duo takes on different faces and preys on their distracted victims. It’s a timely narrative to me. In the video, much like in the real world, the tricksters always end up robbing only themselves in this evil feeds evil feedback loop."
RISING TIDE - MUSIC VIDEO
Directed by Jake Burgess at Cardboard Robot Visuals
Video written and produced by Jake Allen and Jake Burgess
The video for Rising Tide dives into mankind's transgressions against itself on macro and micro levels.
“After writing a song about the imminent downfalls within the idea of progress by any means necessary, I felt like the message deserved to be stretched into a visual place. So director, Jake Burgess and I set out to portray this kind of moral blindness in an interesting way. We all have our own rising tides in our lives. Catching them before they drown us is the challenge that we face.”
PRAGUE 6 - LIVE SOLO PERFORMANCE
One of the first songs written for the 2020 "Affirmation Day" LP, this live performance of "Prague 6" portrays an eclectic mix of Jake's methods of performing solo from two handed tapping, to adding percussive elements, to looping himself in order to create a virtual backing band.
"The goal is always to serve the song and the emotion it is trying to convey first and foremost. When the production of a full band sounding recording is what pushes that, it leads to having to find some interesting tricks to recreate it with just a single guitar and a voice."
Captured by Bill O'Neil and Jake Burgess
IF YOU FALL APART - MUSIC VIDEO
Directed by Jake Burgess at Cardboard Robot Visuals
Written and produced by Jake Allen
Painting a vivid picture of an artist's birth, development and dismantling, If You Fall Apart is a modern day Faustian tale.
"Early into the song's genesis, I could see this cinematic play in my head. The storyline in the video ended up being an inversion of the storyline in the song. This is the 'falling apart' so to speak and the lyrics are from the perspective of the girl."
LASCIVIOUS - LIVE IN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE BY THE FULL BAND
Recorded live at Infinite Balance Studios (Jake Allen's recording space), a new incarnation of the Jake Allen Band performs one of the deeper cuts from the Deviant Motions record.
"Lascivious is one of my particular favorite pieces from Deviant Motions. A musical quilt dealing in a struggles with animalistic neuroses and the hopes of escaping them."
Band: Drums: Travis Aukerman, Bass: TJ Rankin
Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals: Jake Allen, Keyboards, Sampling, Vocals: Lexi Bondar, Electric Guitar: Elden Kelly
Directed by Jake Burgess
TAPPY THANG - LIVE SOLO PERFORMANCE
Recorded live at Bell's in Kalamazoo, MI, this performance of Tappy Thang was captured during Jake's year touring with The Accidentals.
The song is a staple of Jake Allen's early acoustic efforts. Employing a two hands on the neck percussive approach, the song showcases the beginning of Allen's experimentation with modern fingerstyle guitar, a niche genre introduced by Michael Hedges in the 1980's and preserved by modern day players like Andy McKee and Antoine Dufuor. The original recording of Tappy Thang lives amongst a collection of acoustic driven songs on 2009's SleEP record.
Captured by Charles Steen and Tom Gunnels
THE RANSOM - LIVE IN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE BY THE FULL BAND
This live performance taken from 2012's "The Hollow Sound of Melody" DVD, was captured at Halo Horn studios in Traverse City, MI. This Etherica era live staple is performed by a seven piece band. The song utilizes atmospheric effects, clustered harmonies and brooding guitar lines, shepherding listeners to the bottom of the etheric rabbit hole.
Band: Drums: Nick Hohn, Bass: TJ Rankin, Guitar, Vocals: Jacob Filarski, Guitar, Vocals: Jake Allen, Vocals: Sarah Colclasure, Vocals: Penny Jean, Tambourine, Vocals,: Adam Hoppe
Directed by John Curtis
SAVE ME (GOTYE COVER) - LIVE SOLO PERFORMANCE
Another live solo performance in Kalamazoo, MI showcasing live looping. The act of recording one's self on stage and playing it back on loop. Then recording more layers in the same manner.
The song is from the artist Gotye who is most known for his viral hit song "Somebody I Used to Know."
"I started looping live because I missed playing with a band. It kind of supplemented a bit of that appeal. Then it turned into an appeal of it's own... another tool in the box."
Captured by Charles Steen and Tom Gunnels