Words & Photos by Jeremy Stephenson
Hailing from the land down under, Jakübi is a five-piece band that is something entirely different from what you have been listening to. Comprised of five great guys who were all best of friends, actually family, before making music. There are the two brothers, Jerome (vocals and talkbox) and Jacob (bass and moog), the cousins, Adam (or Addzy, guitar) and Jesse (drums) and last but not least the mutual friend of everyone, Rob (guitar). Coming from relatively new beginnings, Jakübi released their first recorded song, “Can’t Afford it All” in 2013 and second, “Holiday” within three weeks of each other gaining more than a 100,000 listens on SoundCloud. Ever since those days of jamming for hours in their studio in Melbourne, Jakübi has been gaining a formidable following in both America and Australia. Recently signing to Epic Records in 2015, Jakübi released their first EP, 61 Barkley (the address of where they recorded their first songs) headlined by their single “Nobody Better”.
The band has evolved in their own right but remained true to their collaborative process which has allowed them to be where they are today. “Everyone plays a little bit of everything so its never about this ego thing where you play this instrument and that’s your part, its all about songs and that’s always the way its been” says, Rob. A true testament to this band, you can hear the authenticity in both their sound and the amazing friendship everyone has with each other. “Before we were a band we were best of friends”- Jakob. You know…hit the club, get loose with it”- Jerome. This band exudes fun into everyone, including the crowd giving this band its own unique feel. Regarding their live performance and outlook on life Jacob said this, “We share everything and if you’re a good human being share it, share it, share it and we share it on stage with everyone”. As a fan of this band, from its infancy it was immensely reassuring to see them still having so much fun while continually creating more music. Their style is something that cannot be described all I can say is, go out and try to catch them at a live show and be sure to listen to their music, you won’t be disappointed!
Setlist for Jakubi at The Rock N’ Roll Hotel, Washington DC 09/29/16: Holiday, Bye Bye Baby, Bank Account, Feels Like Yesterday, Down, Wonderful World, Nobody Better, Couch Potato, Can’t Afford It All, My Life
Interview Audio