It only took five minutes for producer Christoph Anderson to reach out to songwriter Jesse Marc after the release of Jesse’s first track as JOME – and the rest is history in the making. The duo are a perfect musical match for one another, and their intriguing array of woodland pop tunes are proof.

I got to have a chat with the gentlemen of JOME, and asked them about the keys to their chemistry, their rustic pivot on pop, and more. Take a look.

Interview and introduction by Jon.

We want to create music that’s genuine and substantial

Your guys’ collaboration sprung up very quickly – Christoph you emailed Jesse asking to work together a mere five minutes after his first track as JOME premiered… To what do you two attribute your instant musical chemistry?

Jesse: It was so lucky. It’s rare to find someone on your musical wavelength, and that feeling doesn’t come along very often. It just immediately felt right. Part of that is growing up and listening to similar stuff, but it’s more that we happen to be drawn to the same types of melodies and sounds and lyrics.

As a duo who has both the songwriting and production aspects of your music entirely covered between the two of you, do you ever find yourselves reaching out to other artists for added input, or do you both enjoy the creative freedom of being able to control the entire vision as a binary operation?

Christoph: We have a strong vision of what Jome is and like our independence but working with friends can be really fun. Our good friend and producer, Mike Derenzo, works with us quite a bit.

The chemistry between your production, Christoph, and your songwriting, Jesse, is definitely evident on “Snow”, but do you ever find each other crossing into each other’s wheelhouses – e.g. Jesse handling some of the production or Christoph engaging in the songwriting?

Jesse: When we start working on a song, we’re totally focused on our specific lanes. The production powers the songwriting initially, but then they continue to influence each other as we discover the song. Throughout the process, we’ll continually check in and make sure we’re excited about what the other is doing.

JOME seems to be carving out a unique place within today’s expansive pop landscape, with an apparent desire to create something with a deeper emotional resonance. Since both of you have spent years working in the pop music world, is JOME‘s sound intended to introduce a level depth to the genre that you both feel is missing – or is it simply that this type of sound felt like the proper vehicle with which to get your vision across?

Christoph: I think I speak for both of us when I say Jome came out of both feelings of inspiration and great frustration with where some Pop music is right now. We wanted to make what we wanted to listen to and what we felt was missing. There’s an almost nostalgic romanticism in our music that is slightly optimistic yet a bit heartbreaking at the same time.

Jesse: We want to create music that’s genuine and substantial. We both like songs that make us feel, and there seems to be room for more of that in the current landscape.

Every song has a strong narrative and Snow is a great example of that.

With “Snow” being a track about the gnawing ‘what-if’s of loving and letting go, how would you two define the interplay between your personal experiences and stories and JOME‘s sound and emotionality?

Jesse: JOME draws directly from both of our lives. We want the songs to be rooted in real moments and feelings that we’ve experienced, in the hope that whoever is listening can sense that sincerity and connect with it.

Christoph: We always talk about song and lyrical concepts before we start anything new. Every song has a strong narrative and Snow is a great example of that.

The title of your upcoming EP is “Tunnels”, and, along with track titles like “Snow” and “Mountains”, I can’t help but conjure up mental images reminiscent of the rustic water colors that grace JOME‘s cover art. If the feelings and atmospheres you’re looking to create on the EP were to assume the form of a painting, what would it look like?

Jesse: Though you can’t tell from looking at the tiny album covers on Spotify and iTunes, each cover is actually a huge watercolor painting that we photographed. We work directly with an artist on each song to capture its atmosphere and vibe in a painting.

Finally, how can our readers stay apprised of the latest in JOME‘s journey, and will they have a chance to catch the two of you live in the near future?

Jesse: We’re @jomemusic everywhere online, and we’ll definitely start playing live after we’re done with the first record.

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