The Chicago-based Multi-Instrumentalist and Singer/Songwriter Baby Jesus Paper Boy releases a fresh-feeling single, "Expensive Dance Music," off his upcoming self-titled debut album, "Baby Jesus Paper Boy." Surrounding himself with music by being a public-school music teacher and honing in his own craft, Baby Jesus Paper Boy has spent long hours fine-tuning his upcoming self-titled debut album 'Baby Jesus Paper Boy' for listeners to understand who he is and what he stands for fully.
His recent single, "Expensive Dance Music," brings listeners into a heavy College-Rock/Alt-Rock atmosphere through Baby Jesus Paper Boy's thorough instrumentation, offering elements of nostalgic Pop-Rock and Psychedelia. Through Baby Jesus Paper Boy's quick-witted yet romantic lyricism, he adds incredible energy to the track while giving listeners a burst of energy through the song's overall atmosphere.
"Expensive Dance Music" begins with bright and filtered electric guitar melodies that become clear and crisp as the energetic beat drops. The song offers this jumpy and lively atmosphere through the psychedelic electric guitar and the bouncy percussion breakdowns, similar to a playground jump rope chant that gets our feet stomping.
Listening to Baby Jesus Paper Boy's lyricism, he spills clever and witty lyrics at a quick pace while also coming through to show his boundless affection towards his fiancé. Through a warm saxophone solo around the song's midway point, we genuinely love the broad and fiery instrumentals that Baby Jesus Paper Boy has delivered to this toe-tapping tune.
With each unique aspect of Baby Jesus Paper Boy's latest single, "Expensive Dance Music," he has our heads bopping throughout the entire tune while he pours sweet and playful lyricism for anyone to get down with.
What inspired you to create such a bouncy, unique, and lively single like "Expensive Dance Music?" Why did you want to release the single prior to the entire forthcoming album, 'Baby Jesus Paper Boy?'
I’m a sucker for 90’s radio bangers. I wanted to write something that had that same feel. This is my first album and I didn’t want to drop all 10 songs at once with no context of what I stood for. Expensive Dance Music seemed like the right song to give the listeners an early “taste” of the grooviness you’ll find all over the record.
You've mentioned that you had help with the mastering and production for each track off your upcoming album, 'Baby Jesus Paper Boy.' Could you take us through the creative process for your single "Expensive Dance Music," and what collaborations took place?
My friend Brad Kleyla mixed and mastered Baby Jesus Paper Boy. We’re friends from college but he lives in Rhode Island so I haven’t seen him in years. After I recorded everything, I’d send him all the tracks along with a few comments about the vibe I wanted each song to have. We like a lot of the same music so we were usually on the same page with that. Sometimes, as a song developed, he’d ask me to double a guitar track or re-record a vocal or something like that. He’s a great musician too, so other times he would add his own synth/organ/guitar to fatten up the sound. On Expensive Dance Music, his wife sings the harmonies for “if the world were ending, I’d still see you tomorrow” which I think really makes that section pop. During the mixing process, I was reading a biography about the experimental composer John Cage, who is notorious for using random chance in his compositions to remove the composer’s own ego. As a songwriter, of course, I have my own intentions for how I want each track to sound. But I used this as inspiration by giving Brad a few general ideas about how it should sound and then trusting his musical intuition to bring it home. Specifically for Expensive Dance Music, I told him I wanted it to sound like a one-hit-wonder from the 90s. In theory, this type of collaboration could have been a nightmare. Going back and forth with a million emails, re-mixing small details over and over. But it was actually super easy to collaborate with him and I’m really pleased with the end result.
Throughout your single "Expensive Dance Music," your instrumentals offer broad elements of Alt/College-Rock, Pop-Rock, and Psychedelia. What made you take this dynamic instrumental route?
Each instrument has its own stuff that's fun to play. So instead of committing to one genre, I like to let the character of each instrument speak for itself. And that means different things depending on if I’m holding a bass, a guitar, a saxophone, or a mic. That way, you get fun little moments of funk or R&B or New Wave coexisting in an exciting way.
Seeing as your single "Expensive Dance Music" offers a lively atmosphere with witty and heartfelt lyricism, should we anticipate a similar vibe within your forthcoming album, 'Baby Jesus Paper Boy?'
Definitely. I’m an instrumentalist by trade but I’ve always loved writing lyrics as well. Since I was a kid, I’ve admired great lyricists like Stephen Malkmus or Dan Bejar. Stuff that is cryptic and catchy. And as a music teacher, I always have kids' songs stuck in my head too, which I can tell gives my own music its child-like quality. I think the best things in life seem strange yet somehow familiar, and that's how I want to make my music sound too.
What can listeners anticipate to hear next from you?
My debut album Baby Jesus Paper Boy comes out this Friday, November 13th. After that, the sky’s the limit. With the virus, I’m not planning on doing much touring for the time being. I’m a collaborator. By promoting this record, I look forward to meeting new artists and venturing deeper into uplifting and weird projects. Find me on Instagram and get at me!