The air is crisp, with icy gusts of wind brushing against your bare arms. The trees, now mere skeletons of their summer selves, stand stark against the autumn sky as crimson leaves crunch underfoot on the sidewalk. The scent of pumpkin spice lingers in your throat with each sip of your coffee, its warmth seeping through your hands—a nice contrast against the chill. You reach into the depths of your school bag for your headphones, feeling around until you find them. You browse Spotify for the perfect track to complement your walk, and it doesn’t take long before you find the ideal EP and press shuffle.
Fitting seamlessly into the warmth and vibrant hues of fall, Jake Claremont’s debut EP, Auburn, offers a poetic reflection on his past. The six tracks take a deep dive into the emotional lows of toxicity and commitment struggles in relationships.
“Autumn’s my favorite season, and I wanted to capture the feeling in the EP,” Claremont said. “I was originally going to release it on August 10th, but I was like, ‘August, that’s a summer month.’ People are going to see when the EP is released, and I want it to be in the fall, you know. So September 1st, even though it still feels like summer outside, it’s the closest I could get to fall vibes.”
The 21-year-old first began playing the ukulele before picking up the guitar seven years ago. Drawing inspiration from artists like Alex G, Elliott Smith, and Feeble Little Horse, the singer-songwriter blends harmonics and open tunings into his music. In addition to his debut EP Auburn, Claremont has released several songs and demos on his SoundCloud that also showcase the acoustic, raw feeling he often purposefully evokes.
“The most challenging part is waiting for a creative spark on how to finish a song. I have a lot of general ideas on how to start a song, but finishing it by yourself is always the tricky part,” Claremont said. “Lyrics, they’re hard because you could spend six months trying to write a verse, but on some other days, you can finish the whole song in 15 minutes, so it’s very sporadic.”
Alongside his solo work, Claremont is also a member of the three-piece alternative-shoegaze band Debaser, where he does vocals and guitar. Since releasing their single “Marrow” in early August, the band has been working on social media promotion and hopes for an opportunity to play local shows. For “Fetter,” “Auburn,” and “Pine,” Debaser’s drummer, Julian Gonzalez, stepped in to see Claremont’s artistic vision through.
“I specifically asked him, ‘Hey, do you think you can throw some chill rock drums on here? Don’t do anything crazy. I know you can do a three-minute drum solo if you wanted to, but if you could just keep it at the bare minimum, I think the simplicity is what I’m going for,’” Claremont said. “He did just that, and it sounded better than I ever could have imagined in my head.”
The EP emotionally opens up with “Fetter,” arguably the strongest song, featuring an addictive introduction and evocative riff. The song’s straightforward lyrics like “I’m stuck again / With you,” avoid complex metaphors, offering a direct experience that cleverly reflect its title. Feeling stuck to someone and yet always coming back because you feel chained—‘almost fettered,’ Claremont describes—is the inspiration behind the song’s naming. Continuing the motif of toxicity, Claremont reveals that, sonically, his favorite track is “Pine,” the third track on the EP that harps on the emptiness following a breakup. Its straightforward, unembellished lyrics, such as “There’s nothing here but our old pictures now,” once again candidly narrate the dissolution of Claremont’s past relationship, laying bare the emotional remnants left behind. Its acoustic strumming, complemented by Gonzalez’s nuanced drumming, takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster, shifting seamlessly from bittersweet nostalgia to raw angst.
“I think ‘Pine’ is really fun to listen to. I think it turned out the best,” Claremont said. “It’s encapsulating of the music I’m trying to go for, where it’s a little bit experimental, but you can hear the rock influences.”
The first bonus track, “& So I Ran,” delivers a raw, acoustic feel that evokes memories of young love. At its core, the song serves as an ode to nostalgia, with lyrics that reveal Claremont’s struggles with commitment. Its shaky breaths and acoustic strumming beautifully complement the soft, melancholic yearning in Claremont’s heartfelt vocals, keeping sadness at its forefront. His vocals seem to wrap around you like a knitted sweater in the autumn chill, offering warmth and comfort with one final, lingering departure.
“The song is about being unable to commit to a serious relationship,” Claremont said. “When someone knows you so well, it’s like, ‘Whoa, you know me a little too well, I gotta get out of here.’ It’s also reflective of past relationships that have failed in that way.”
The second bonus track, “Love in Passing,” concludes the EP with a distinctive electronic sound that contrasts with the rest of the album. Using only his laptop keyboard, Claremont experimented with arpeggio chords and spontaneous notes, creating a backdrop for the track’s short yet poignant lyrics. Its unpredictable notes serve as a compliment to Claremont’s vocalization of uncertainty.
“I’ve always been a fan of that Lo-Fi sound, like Clairo’s older stuff, and I’ve always liked the electronic LinnDrum sound effect,” Claremont said. “I knew I wanted to make something that sounded like a movie soundtrack. I don’t know if I accomplished that, but yeah, I was just toying around on synth for a while.”
Claremont’s debut EP Auburn is a poignant exploration of emotion and personal growth, reflecting the artist’s maturing sound and inspirations. With each track, from the evocative riff of “Fetter” to the experimental electronic finish of “Love in Passing,” Claremont showcases his journey through a straightforward theme of relationship struggles. The EP not only captures the essence of autumn but also marks a significant step in Claremont’s artistic evolution.
“Over the past three years, my creative inspirations have changed left and right,” Claremont said. “I’ve explored my tastes a lot more. A year ago, it would have sounded completely different. Each song has a different message, so whatever they want to take away, they could do it.”