Jake Cassman has long been a folk rocker with a story worth telling, and on November 14, he will share his first full-length album under his own name. Idling High was written and recorded after Cassman’s return to his home state of California, where he wrestled with depression, stagnation, and self-esteem. The record captures these struggles with incisive vulnerability and a dark sense of humor, making it both deeply personal and strikingly universal. Drawing from influences as wide-ranging as country and indie pop, Cassman creates a sound that is urgent and contemporary, while rooted in the timeless traditions of artists like Tom Petty, Counting Crows, and Jason Isbell.
The lead single, “October Burning,” set the tone, a prescient track that weaves together California wildfires with themes of loneliness, demonstrating Cassman’s gift for precision and poignancy. Other highlights include the Elton John-inspired rocker “I Think I’m Happy,” the folk-and-808s experimentation of “Anna, I’m Not Interesting,” the harmony-driven “Can You Be OK?,” and the gospel-tinged closer “I’m Still Here.” Each track has been released gradually over the past year, culminating in the full record arriving this fall.
Cassman’s path to this moment has been anything but ordinary. He left an Ivy League school to pursue his dream of making music, and along the way, supported himself through dueling pianos, busking, and countless other musical endeavors. His previous project, Drunken Logic, toured nationally, and their 2018 track “What a Beautiful Morning!” was included on the anti-Trump 30 Days, 30 Songs compilation alongside artists such as Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Eat World. Beyond the band, Cassman has explored musical theater, improv, and sketch comedy with Second City Hollywood, while also producing episodes of the popular Vulture podcast Switched On Pop. A music teacher by day, he continues to write, record, and perform both at home in Los Angeles and abroad.
This year has already been a busy one for Cassman. He completed a California tour, performed a sold-out vinyl release show at Kulak’s Woodshed in LA, and announced plans to release lyric videos, live performances, and music videos for every track on Idling High. Away from the stage, he keeps life grounded with weekly basketball games and a running curiosity for creative craft beers.
With Idling High, Jake Cassman offers listeners a record that is as intimate as it is expansive, as honest as it is playful. It is a debut solo album that feels like the culmination of his journey so far, but also the beginning of something new.
Are you ready for the new album? Stay tuned to MusicOnTheRox.com for all your music news and reviews.
