Jake and the Kid are a local indie-rock band who got together back in 2020. The original members started up as a COVID project when their Grade 12 year was cut short due to the pandemic and from there things just took off. The group has evolved through the last few years changing from a 7-piece to 4-piece band but all the while staying true to their roots and honouring members that have come before as they continue to release new music! JATK offer an eclectic sound with instrumentals including everything from guitar and ukulele to brass instruments! In 2023 they took home Album of the Year for their album “Baby Bro” at the Saskatchewan Music Awards. Their new single ‘Juniper’ is out now!
A bit about ‘Juniper’: The band worked on this song for a couple of years before it fully came to fruition. They got a grant from the Creative City Centre and the studio time allowed them to finally piece the song together! Everyone that played on the track was invited to come down and write their own part, something JATK try to do with most of their songs! Take a listen to the new song and get to know the band below!
Get to know Jake and The Kid:
Who is Jake and who else is in the band?
Jakob Bjornson is the namesake of the band, he is an original member and plays bass. The rest of the band right now consists of Theo Dieana (drums, guitar, vocals), Sam Stawarz (vocals, saxophone, guitar), and Joe Roussel (guitar, drums, vocals). This 4-piece is rather unusual for us, as we used to be a 7-piece band. Past members include Nathan Syrnick on trombone, Levi Brown on trumpet, and Vynz Hipolito on drums. Although they aren’t around to play with us live and write anymore, we try to involve our past members as much as possible in the creative process, especially in the studio.
How they got together:
Our original 3 members; Sam, Joe, and Jakob, met in high school and bonded through a shared interest in music. After high school we all decided to pursue a degree in the music department at the University of Regina, where we met Vynz and Nathan. We had known Levi for years before he was eventually added to the group to further improve our sound. Theo was added as a replacement drummer when Vynz moved to pursue his Masters degree and has since become an extremely important part of the group’s sound as well.
Their favorite local venue to play:
The Artesian on 13th Ave. We love the stage, the room, and the sound. The venue also has a distinct feeling with the bar/hangout room, the green room, and as a whole. It’s a nice place to relax and unwind after soundchecks. Dana, who runs The Artesian, is extremely accommodating and cares deeply about local music so he is always very welcoming as well.
Their dream collaboration:
There are too many to list honestly. You could ask any member of the band and get a million different answers because our influences can be very different. If I (Joe) had to pick one on behalf of everyone I would say probably Bon Iver or Faye Webster.
Outside of music, something they all love:
Whenever we spend time together it is usually in rehearsals or performance. Life is busy and we choose to fill our free time with what we love most, making music with our friends. All of our band members are in 2-3 bands in the city and also do odd gigs. It’s our way of staying connected with each other. If I had to pick something outside of playing that we love most I would say just spending time with each other before and after gigs. Whether it’s camping,
driving, or grabbing some food, we love spending time with each other and joking around.
Jake and The Kid are hard at work on their next project! Follow along with them at their socials below to find out when you can see them play in Regina next and stream ‘Juniper’ now on Spotify and Apple Music!