Q&A | Jeremy Zucker

From bedroom to dorm room and back again, Jeremy Zucker has been putting together a catalog of music that dates all the way back to a time before he had 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His narrative pop reflects the emotional ride of being young and not quite having everything figured out yet. Zucker began his time at Colorado College on the pre-med track and ended it with a record deal. Even though achieving that level of success at such a young age might seem aspirational to most of us, the winding journey from point A to point B certainly isn’t. It’s real.

How many 18 year olds know exactly where they will be at 22? Songs like “all the kids are depressed,” “Upside Down,” and his breakout single “comethru,” speak to the confusion and passions of Zucker’s generation. On his debut album “love is not dying,” which drops today, Zucker continues in this tradition. The album digs into the singer’s personal relationships and inner fantasies.

Before “love is not dying” was released to his already sizable fan base, we got a chance to ask Zucker about how he was transitioning into this new chapter. Read our conversation below.

Was music always a big part of your life? How did you go from molecular biology student to recording artist?

Music has always been a huge part of my life. It wasn't like I woke up one day and was like, "I don't want to do science, I'm gonna do music." Music has always been the thing I did on the side, so when I went to college, I majored in Molecular Biology on a pre-med track. When I was a freshman, I started releasing music under my own name, and by the time I was a junior I had gained enough recognition online through Soundcloud, Youtube and Spotify that I got offered a few record deals. Things progressed, and by the time I was ready to graduate, I realized I could fully support myself with music - so I decided to try that, and if it didn't work out I would go back to school. It's been two years and I haven't looked back.

What influences and projects helped you formulate your sound?

I pull influences from whatever I'm listening to and resonating with at the time. It's a really strange and eclectic range of music. When I started to establish myself as an artists, my influences were EDEN, Jon Bellion, and blackbear. But the more I make music, the more I become influenced by my own work and it becomes easier to experiment and pave my own way, which is what I did with this album.  

How did you feel about your song “comethru” before its release? Did you have a sense that this was going to be a big moment for you?

I still remember the afternoon when I wrote "comethru."  I took my guitar and my dad's amp into the backyard of my parents house. It was a beautiful, green, suburban summer day in New Jersey. I knew it was going to be a really likeable song. I didn't really think it was going to be as massive as it was though. I don't think one person can guess how millions of people will react to a song.  

What inspired you to start putting down roots in Brooklyn?

I knew I wanted to be living in New York, and Brooklyn just makes more sense for musicians. It's quieter, and there's more space. Manhattan can be overwhelming.

You produced this album yourself. Is it important to you to have that type of control over your music?Having control over the process is just the tip of the iceberg. I have to resonate with the music on an almost spiritual level. A lot of the ideas I start get scratched in early phases for that reason.  

How did your collaboration with Max Martin’s MXM team come about?

They reached out and wanted to work with me! I spent a couple days in sessions with a few different guys over there, and we got "not ur friend" on the second day, I think. I don't collaborate much, but it was one of the most natural songwriting sessions I've ever been in.  

What can we expect from you moving forward, following the release of your album?

I'm not sure to be completely honest. I've been putting so much of myself into this album that I can't even think about what comes next.  

---