February 15

Interview with Jason Heim, featured artist at BCF

Posted by on February 15, 2024 in Interview | Leave a comment

Our featured artist this week at BCF Song Club at the Vale is Jason Heim. Read below to find out more about him and his music!

Interviewer: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration for songwriting?

Jason: This is a funny question for me, because my answer would have been very different just a year or so ago. It used to be that I couldn’t write anything at all unless I had enough anger or frustration to channel into a song. I used to think that this was the only way to make something “real”, whatever that means. In hindsight, this was silly. Inspiration is everywhere if you can just get out of your own way. Big City Folk has this “song challenge” that they do where they pick a random word as a prompt and two weeks later you’re supposed to come back with a song. The first time I was there when they did this, I thought it was ridiculous. The challenge word that time was “laminate”. Who writes a song about laminates? In two weeks? I had only written two songs over the last five years before that first challenge. Then a funny thing happened. I was out for my usual morning walk and my brain kept coming back to this ridiculous idea. I think it’s the “challenge” aspect. I love puzzles and solving problems. Writing a song used to be like waiting for lightning to strike, but this challenge somehow convinced my brain it was okay to write without waiting for some deeply personal prompt. It was surprisingly liberating.

So my answer today would be: a long walk with a clear head and an intriguing challenge.

I: Do you think you view music in a different way than someone who isn’t involved in the creative process? Meaning, while I might just bop my head to a song, you may decipher every instrument or understand why the singer made a certain choice.

J: I think the ability to effectively analyze music is decoupled from the ability to create it, though it’s certainly natural for that to overlap. For my part though, I really don’t think I’m much different from a person who just bops their head. I have very little technical skill with music. I actually just started taking guitar lessons late last year because I’ve always been curious about music theory and what I might be able to do if I was able to see a bit behind the curtain of why certain notes and chords and whatnot fit better together. I’m loving that, he’s been a great teacher for me. But it hasn’t changed the way I listen to music at all, not yet at least. I like a really wide variety of music, and I have no idea why some things work for me and others don’t.

I: What is your favorite song from another artist?

It depends on what I’m doing. If I’m working, I need music without lyrics. Lately I really like New Blue Sun, that new flute instrumental album from André 3000. Lately, when I’m walking to or from work, It’s usually Tom Waits. Rain Dogs is an incredible album that, regretfully, I only recently got to know. But his whole catalog is full of gems. I love songs that have a narrative or tell a story, and Waits excels at that.

I: Are there any challenges you’ve faced or continue to face when it comes to music?

J: My guitar skills are weak. There are a handful of chords I use way too often. The lessons are helping though.

I: How do you balance the artistic and creative side of being an independent artist with the business side of things?

J: I’m fortunate to have a day job that I truly enjoy and also puts me on solid ground. Thanks to that, when I’m focused on music I don’t have to think about the business side of things. That’s not to say I don’t take it seriously. People don’t have time to spare. If they spend five minutes listening to one of your songs, you’ve got to at least try to make that time well spent. Even if people don’t care for your song, most will respect you if you show them you’re doing it in earnest.

I: If you could give advice to someone who is wanting to get into singing/songwriting what would it be?

J: Think big. Want little.

I: Has your music evolved since you first started?

J: I know I’m pickier about what I write than I was when I was in my 20s. Back then, I was just happy if I had four power chords and a few lines that rhymed. I listen to it now and laugh, some of it just feels like filler. I like to think these newer songs aren’t falling into that trap, but for all I know in 20 years I’m going to look back and laugh at myself again. Time is a trip.

I: When did you know this is what you had a passion for? 

J: I thought about this and tried to think of a specific moment, but failed. I’m introverted and socially awkward, so music is a way for me to connect with people that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. But I don’t know when I realized that.

I: Do you have a favorite song of you own? If you do, I’d love to hear why!

J: I like some better than others, but for different reasons, and there isn’t a clear favorite.

Jason Heim is a singer-songwriter from central Pennsylvania and one third of the band Bucket. The band went dormant in the early 2000s because life took its members in different directions. Jason moved to NYC in 2009 and was inspired by the local music scene to pick up the guitar and start playing again. After writing a handful of new songs he began researching local open mics, but the pandemic struck and derailed those plans. During the pandemic he reunited with Bucket’s drummer to record two EPs, which are available on streaming services. In mid-2023 he finally started joining open mics, which led to an invitation to Big City Folk. Since then, the song challenges at Big City Folk have inspired a half dozen new songs that he’s excited to record soon and use as the backbone of a set to share with New York City’s local music scene.