They’ve come a long way since their days on Vine!
Following the early summer release of their latest EP, “Gone,” the boys — Jack Johnson and Jack Gilinsky — are already back in the studio working on their upcoming singles, which they tease are “dropping relatively soon.”
Jack & Jack, who turned their childhood friendship into a unique hip-hop, rap duo talked all things past, present and future music: from looking back at their days in Magcon, to the possibility of going solo. Scroll down for all the details!
On landing a major recording deal with Island Records:
Jack J: We’re really excited about that partnership because we really think it’s gonna help take us to the next level. We’ve already done so much independently but we feel like now is the time for that big radio push and now it’s the time to expose us to the mainstream. Jack and I have really been taking this music seriously, ever since we were little. I think there’s that whole stigma attached to something like social media that delegitimizes your music, and people might not take it as seriously. So it’s awesome to have this major label believe in us.
Describing their music in three words:
Jack J: One word I would like to say is inspirational. Jack and I come from the middle of the country and we self-made our entire business. Through our lyrics and our songs, we always tell our fans that there are brighter days ahead. We always want to motivate them to keep going in life.
Jack G: I would say another word would be innovation, because we came in on the front-end of social media. It was very new and different, and we were the first of the social media kids to put out music and chart on the Billboards, and all that.
Jack J: I’d also say fun. We’re both just young kids, and we just wanna make sure that our followers are having a good time in life.
How their music has changed:
Jack G: Just like a lot of things in life, it’s a natural progression. If you really love something and you really believe in yourself, it’s inevitable that you’re going to get better. Every time we get into the studio, I know that I come up with more intricate melodies and more out-there melodies than I ever could’ve at the age when we first got into the studio. Even going further back, when I was just in choir and Jack was just writing raps on his iPod, we were just kids that didn’t really know the potential that we had. We didn’t know two kids from Nebraska could ever go out and actually make music that could inspire people or change someone’s life. That’s why I think it’s become what it is now and what it’s gonna continue to become because it’s just endless progression
On keeping in touch with their Magcon family:
Jack J: I think everybody lives out here [in L.A.], except for Shawn, of course, but he’s been on the road like crazy. We still stay in touch with everybody and it’s exciting because everybody has their own blossoming career in a different sense, and so it’s kinda cool to see where we all started and now look back and be like, ‘Wow, that’s where it all began.’
Their advice for rising social media stars:
Jack G: Don’t try too hard to follow all the trends. I really think it’s about being unique, and being yourself, and not doing what everybody else is doing. That will make you stand out more.
On the possibility of going solo:
Jack J: The reason why we’re going to outlast all of these other groups that you see falling apart is because we’re completely on the same artistic vision. We listen to the same music, we have the same friends, we do the same things on the weekends, we live with each other every single day. So it’s to the point where he’s just my brother and there’s really nothing that’s gonna split Jack and I.
Jack G: We’re best friends, so I think for the rest of our lives, I would love to make music with him, no matter what.
QUIZ: Which song from Jack & Jack’s EP are you based on your zodiac sign?