Jaguar on Mars

***NEW ARTIST HIGHLIGHT***

As the producer and host of the Abandoned Albums podcast, my co-host Geoff Calhoun and I get pitched a lot of artists. Some are new, some are reinventing themselves, and most are good, but all are interesting. But every once in a while, we come across a diamond in the rough.

This week we welcome that diamond in the rough, Jaguar On Mars, into Thunderlove Studio.

Jaguar On Mars is Jacob Cade, and Jacob Cade is Jaguar On Mars - in other words, it’s a one man show.

When I listen to a new artist, I’m not just listening to see if what they have sent is good, I’m listening for the potential. Especially with a younger artist like Jacob Cade.

This is not to say that the five songs that currently populate the Jaguar On Mars catalog are amateurish - far from it. His debut single, from March “Nicotine,” is not what you would expect from a novice. It seems others agree - Joseph Chudyuk (OneRepublic) mixed the track and Mike Cervantes (Avril Lavigne, Snoop Dogg, Dolly Parton) mastered it. And Jacob’s songwriting has been touted from the likes of American Songwriter, Brave Words, and Folk n’ Rock.

His backstory is typical, but his influences are anything but (fans of Jack White and Royal Blood may want to take note). Cade’s influences vary and, frankly, not what I would’ve expected for someone of his age (25). It’s refreshing to find out that these artists may be retired, dead, or taking victory laps these days, but knowing their music still has an impact on the younger generation warms the cockles of my soul.

“Too Sad For The Party” channels the best of a John Hughes soundtrack, has a guitar hook to die for, a dash of the saccharine best Taylor Swift has to offer, and a falsetto that owes more than a little to Prince. You wouldn’t think that could work, but boy howdy, it does. And I’ll be damned if I don’t get goosebumps listening to this song.

“Undressed” is a hard and heavy hitter, that highlights Cade’s guitar chops. And the kid has ‘em.

Tapping into that Jack White and Royal Blood influence is “Bad for Myself,” another shredder with a chorus that pays homage to the self-pity party we’ve all had.

The recently released “Cynical” is a nice companion piece to “Bad for Myself.”

What I hear in all of these songs are a lot of what I feel is missing from so much new music, heart and soul… and talent. If you need evidence, check out his cover of The Cranberries “Linger” on his IG or Cade’s spot on cover of “Harder to Breathe” in the podcast episode. Don’t get me wrong, The Royal Otis cover of “Linger” is fine, even if it sounds more like Deep Blue Something (remember them) covering it.

It takes a fair amount of testicular fortitude to cover a song like “Linger” and Jacob Cade’s got that locked up.

Once you know the influences, you can hear them, but through the filter of Jacob Cade and Jaguar On Mars. And this is what Jaguar Of Mars does so eloquently, he melds all of those influences into something that is truly unique and flucking refreshing. If the quality of his work is this good now, just imagine what he would do in a proper studio, with a budget and a good engineer.

Jaguar On Mars straddles the line between rock and pop, and with his talent, he’s bound to leave a mark in both.

Here is our conversation with Jacob Cade of Jaguar On Mars: