You may not have heard of London-born DJ and producer Jacob Plant, but the EDM world certainly has. In 2012, he caught the eyes and ears of Calvin Harris, who later signed Plant to his record label that same year. Plant's big break followed in 2013 from his two singles 'Shakedown' and 'Fire' and has enjoyed a meteoric rise of recognition with support from other DJs including Zane Lowe, Annie Mac, Mistajam, and Diplo.
Two years after the success of his singles, Jacob released 'Drop That', which was commissioned by Rihanna for the soundtrack of the Dreamworks movie Home. He also produced official remixes for Rihanna and other artists such as Iggy Azalea, Tinie Tempah, Benny Benassi, and Calvin Harris.
Despite the number of extensive commissions, Plant kept his string of impressive singles going by releasing 'Only Love' last summer featuring singer-songwriter Becky Hill, which BBC Radio 1 named as their Ibiza anthem, reached #8 in the UK Shazam Chart, and peaked at #1 in the UK Shazam Dance Chart. 'Amnesia', the newest single from Plant as of late, features singer-songwriter James Newman who also carries a number of notable credentials such as having written Calvin Harris' 'Blame', and Little Mix's 'Love Me Like You'.
With the release of 'Amnesia,' it's no wonder why Jacob Plant stirs up excitement in the EDM and house music community. James Newman's smooth vocals flows seamlessly Plant's deep bass and piano that picks up that makes more an even funkier tune when the drop hits. The lyrics talk about struggling to get over someone, but music is so upbeat it actually does make you forget the story 'Amnesia' is telling.
I was lucky to ask Plant about the making of Amnesia, where and how his attraction to house music came from, and what lies ahead for the DJ.
Your most recent single, 'Amnesia' featuring James Newman has received positive feedback from fans. How do you perceive the successful result of Amnesia?
Would you mind walking me through the music making process behind Amnesia? How did the songwriting and lyric process come together?
James Newman had the vocal idea already. It's such a strong vocal and his voice is amazing so as soon as I heard it, I knew I wanted to work on it. I actually have about 2 or 3 versions of that on my Mac. The first demo I did was 80's and Stranger Things influenced but it didn't really suit my previous releases. I'm happy we went with the piano house version, I think it complements the song!
How did the collaboration with James Newman happen?
We were actually introduced through my management. We did the song over email, so we didn't even meet until after the song. It's funny how that happens now. It's so cool you can do that.
Your music has caught the eyes and ears of many throughout the years, including Calvin Harris, who signed you to his label when you first started out. How did being reached out to by him feel?
Yeah, it was a dream come true. He was always a massive influence to me, so when he reached out to me about my music it was so exciting. He really helped me at the beginning of my career, and I'm really thankful for that.
What attracted you to producing house music/the house music scene?
I love house music. I grew up to a lot of 90's music and house music was a massive part of that era. I've tried a lot of genres but house music seems to be where I am most comfortable. I feel like there are so many genres within 'house music' so you can really experiment and play around.
Any special projects or new music fans can expect in the near future?
Yeah, I'm working on a bunch of new music at the moment so expect some new songs and new sound in 2019!
Soon after its release, 'Amnesia' became certified on Mista Jam's BBC Radio 1 show and just this month was remixed by EDM duo Just Kiddin. So many music producers, artists, DJs, and listeners put Jacob Plant on their radar, so why haven't you? You can listen to Amnesia with any of the links on his website here, and visit his Soundcloud for his latest songs and remixes.
- Jacob Plant feat. James Newman - Amnesia - YouTube ›
- Jacob Plant - Only Love (feat. Becky Hill) - YouTube ›
- JACOB PLANT (@jacobplantmusic) • Instagram photos and videos ›
- Jacob Plant - About You feat. Maxine (Official Video) - YouTube ›
- Jacob Plant Tracks & Releases on Beatport ›
- Jacob Plant on Spotify ›
- JACOB PLANT (@jacobplant) | Twitter ›
- Jacob Plant - Home | Facebook ›
- jacobplant | Jacob Plant | Free Listening on SoundCloud ›