Jake & Shelby – Shut Up and Kiss Me (acoustic)
Today, Nashville-based singer-songwriter duo Jake & Shelby released the new single “Shut Up and Kiss Me (Acoustic),” a special re-recording that signals an homage to Jake & Shelby’s humble beginnings, when the pop pair first made a splash solely from showcasing Shelby’s jazz-tinged vocals and Jake’s passionate guitar plucks.
For the delightful, acoustic reimagining of the previously released bop found on their debut album Learning To Love (released October 10 via EMPIRE), Jake & Shelby take it back to the basics in lieu of polished production, with poignant harmonies, catchy clapping, and punchy percussion.
“We started out doing acoustic music, and it’s such an important part of our sound to us,” share Jake & Shelby. “We knew from the beginning we would want to make acoustic versions of the songs off ‘Learning to Love,’ and ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ is where we start to travel back to our acoustic roots! We couldn’t help but add a little sauce to this version since we love that fun feeling the original recording of ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ has! We hope this one finds a special place in your heart.”
“Shut Up and Kiss Me (Acoustic)” follows the release of the recent soul-baring single, “Morning Light.” Penned by Shelby in under an hour about her personal journey as a 6-year-old in the foster care system, the raw and intimate song emphasizes the healing power of music – listen to the heart-wrenching “
Slowly healing her inner child, Shelby bravely shared her story following an overwhelming response from fans who were profoundly moved just from initial snippets heard on social media. “I went through foster care and was adopted when I was six years old,” reveals Shelby. “Often times I don’t really think about it, but I was beautifully and gently reminded whenever we spent some time on Cape Cod this fall. While we were there, we sang at an event for an organization called the Cape Cod Foster Closet. I was so touched learning about all they do. It brought back a lot of memories for me that I try to ignore. I realized that I should take it as an opportunity to write about my own story. It was hard at first, but I ended up finishing the song in about 45 minutes, which doesn’t always happen. It had never been so easy to put my experience into words before. I’m so grateful for the way music so gently heals and brings light from pain. It felt scary to share something so intimate, but I want nothing more than to create music that can help other people feel something real. I posted the song the morning after, and I was so overwhelmed by how much kindness and love was shown to me. I realized that this song became something so much bigger than I ever could have imagined. I felt so comforted and seen.”
Shelby continues, “It seems like foster care is something that isn’t talked about very often, and I’m grateful to be a part of bringing people a glimpse into the many fears every child faces when they have to leave their home. Once we saw how much this song meant to people, we wanted to release it as soon as we could. It was important to me that the recording was just as raw as the song, so we recorded a live, fully acoustic version and filmed it at the same time. We hope that this song can help people feel less alone in whatever they’ve walked through or are walking through.”
These newer singles serve as an early taste of new music for Jake & Shelby fans since the release of their dreamlike debut studio album Learning To Love, which was named in NPR Music’s best new albums list upon release. A showcase of earworm pop melodies, heart-warming harmonies, and shapeshifting rhythms, the 12-track LP is the perfect soundtrack for anyone who has ever found themselves tangled in love.
Thematically, Learning To Love explores all facets of love– falling in, falling out, chasing, questioning, and surrendering to it. The singer-songwriter duo beautifully captured both the highs and lows of relationships with an honest and emotionally-charged delivery. Raw yet polished songs that also oscillate between vulnerability and confidence include “Fragile,” which “trembles at the edge of breaking, yet radiates with humanity” (Atwood Magazine).
Whereas the vibrant bops such as “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and “Loophole,” that encapsulate the feelings of fear and excitement that come with young love, feature soaring melodies that help set the album’s deeply personal yet universally relatable tone. Straying from their signature stripped-back elegance, Jake & Shelby worked closely with more producers, including Josh Ronen (Kelly Clarkson, Erin Kinsey) and Micah Tawlks (COIN, The Brook & the Bluff), to embrace a far more elaborately detailed sound that is adorned with shadowy beats, Jake’s inventive guitar tones, plus Shelby’s haunting piano and jazz-tinged vocals.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the album and meaning of its title, Jake & Shelby explain, “While a lot of this album is about learning to love someone else, a bigger part of it is about learning to love yourself. It’s about learning to love yourself enough to leave what isn’t good for you. Learning to choose someone who will truly care for you. Learning to love yourself enough to work through trauma from your past. To fully love someone else, the first step is learning to love yourself, and that’s what this album means to us. We hope this album can meet people wherever they are. Whether they’re in a relationship or not, we want them to feel seen.”
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