When Jake Herring—aka BabyJake—put out his breakout indie-pop single “Cigarettes On Patios” in 2019, his career took off nearly overnight. Racking up nearly 100 million streams to date on that song alone, Herring has experienced firsthand just how jarring a rapid rise to success can be… especially in the tricky world of the music industry.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ultimately, Herring’s story was similar to many other budding artists’—he thought he was finally going to be living his dream, but instead, miscommunications and disagreement with his label left him feeling disgusted and misunderstood as an artist. Now, on April 15, Herring put out his latest single: “Do I Fit In Your Shoes?,” a swaggering song that blends pop, indie and hip-hop all while being an illuminating proclamation of the Los Angeles-based artist’s distaste for the label establishment.
“I wrote this song to express how I felt about my situation within the major label system,” Herring told American Songwriter. “It is obviously a dig at the label. I felt a certain way, and I put the pen to paper. It’s a very personal song, but it’s also a dance song, so I would hope they enjoy listening to it but also appreciate the lyrics. I really just want listeners to understand where I am coming from.”
Along with the single, Herring unveiled a corresponding music video which sees him play both himself and a satirical depiction of a major label “fat cat” executive. Fun, quirky and indicative of Herring’s down-to-Earth style, the video serves as a perfect visual representation of the song. For his part, Herring hopes the rising generation of artists might be able to push back against the anti-artistic greed that he’s set his sights on for this release.
“Stick to the truth,” was the imperative he offered. “Or if the record is a story, stick to the story’s truth. I’m so done with classic pop songs being as general as possible. I hate that stuff. I want people to bring back whacko stories and personal experiences. My advice would be to channel that—don’t look at what’s going to get you a check or more notoriety. Look for great songs. Sometimes, they just come to you. Other times, it is a chase.”
And when that chase ends with a catch, the feeling can be sublime. For “Do I Fit In Your Shoes,” Herring explains that he feels like a new, better chapter of his career is just beginning.
“I’m leaning heavily into my roots moving forward and trusting my gut instinct,” he said. “I’m excited to be born anew.”
BabyJake’s new single “Do I Fit In Your Shoes?” is out now and available everywhere. Watch the music video for it below:
