Manchester UK’s Jesse D’Kora returns today with his newest installment of the month, “To Boldly Go.” Inspired by the singer’s time as a kid watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with his dad, the track is a tribute to our younger selves who cared too much about how others saw us. Guilty pleasures shouldn’t even be a thing anymore. In fact, it’s time we embrace whatever makes us feel more whole in a world that often feels like it is determined to drag us down.
In honor of D’Kora’s new single release, we got the chance to chat with Jesse about “To Boldly Go,” departing Juliper Sky, and what he hopes his listeners take away from his music.
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“To Boldly Go” is your ninth track you’ve released so far (5th of the year with 7 left to go). What has this solo journey been like since your departure from Juliper Sky? Is there anything you miss about working with a group or does flying solo suit you better?
It’s been different to being in a band for sure. There are bits I miss about being in a band; the camaraderie, the laughs, the after practise pint, the extra pairs of hands, but then there are also plenty of things I prefer about being on my own like making quick decisions, scheduling, self reliance and probably most important: the freedom to be uncompromising and completely in control of the musical output. Also rather strangely, doing this on my own has meant that I get much more done. The extra hands of being in a band should help but in reality when you are master of your own schedule you can push to get things done quicker, so then I can do things like release 12 songs in a year.
You’ve shared that this month’s release was inspired by sitting on the couch with your dad and watching Star Trek while hiding the fact that you were a nerd. What other guilty pleasures did you have as a kid that you’re not afraid to admit to now?
Haha, great question. Oh I did lots of nerdy stuff as a kid. I really liked the stats of football and I remember joining the teachers (cause no other students cared) fantasy league when I was 10 back when it was actually a bit unknown and unpopular; it’s actually a proper ‘trendy’ thing to do these days, coincidently I don’t play anymore. I also played lots of games, like I’m sure most kids do, but I can get a bit obsessive like I completed Pokémon Blue, and I don’t mean just beating the final top dudes, but I mean getting all 150 Pokémon which meant I had to have a trading adapter and find people to trade with etc. Oh my word, the hours I spent on that game.
You’re releasing a track each month this year. Can you describe the songwriting process? How do you decide which tracks get released and are they spur of the moment ideas or have these been in the works for a while?
So I write a lot, like a lot a lot. When I decided I was going to do the solo thing I wrote 100 songs and narrowed down my favorites out of them and since then I have probably written a hundred more. My method is quality by quantity. Previously I have found myself getting worked up in a state writer’s block and really getting myself stuck and in a hole trying to write something great. I think I feel the pressure, so when the song I’m writing ‘has to be the one’ then it inevitably equals frustration, especially when the first idea I try doesn’t go right. Then trying to continue writing in a frustrated or in a negative mindsight is not really conducive to a good creative process, nor a fun one. So I find it much more enjoyable to say to myself, “I’m going to write and if it’s good then great but if it’s bad that doesn’t matter because I will quickly write another one shortly after,” and “If I write 10 bad songs in a row then that’s ok because eventually I will write a better one.”
What has been the most surprising thing about your musical journey? What about the most harrowing?
Hm, I’m not sure if I can think of anything particularly surprising or harrowing that’s happened just yet, but I would say Twitter can be a pretty harrowing place if you get sucked in.
What do you hope people take away from your collection of songs?
I’ve always thought my music has a retro/nostalgic feeling to it, it is something that I try to impart on it, so really the simple answer is that I hope people can feel something from listening to it and take that away from it. I also think about the late night bus ride a lot, so that moment and feeling you get when travelling home late after a really long day on public transport and you just want to listen to some music but not think to deeply about the playlisting, one of the big things for me has to be create a collection where people can press play and just drift away whilst listening.
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Listen to “To Boldly Go” below:
