Jack The Underdog has teamed up with Matt Priscilla to create “High Holiday,” an emo rap/pop punk song reminiscent of artists like MOD SUN, Juice WRLD, and Machine Gun Kelly that’s sure to get stuck in your head and have you singing at the top of your lungs. We had the pleasure of interviewing Jack The Underdog, and here’s what he had to say:
Q: What is the story behind or what inspired this collaboration between you and Matt Priscilla?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: I met Matt Priscilla towards the end of last year while the Riot House was starting to form and make content. Matt Priscilla has a great voice and is a really great songwriter, and I felt that he brought a really cool new perspective and sound to the song. Matt’s part in the song is reminiscent of Blackbear, who is one of my all-time favorite artists and who happened to partially inspire my songwriting behind the song, so it felt like a perfect fit to have Matt jump on the track.
Q: What was your creative and production process for “high holiday”?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: I originally wrote this song back in 2020 about a heartbreak-induced “bender”, but it has found many different styles and formats throughout the years. It started with just an acoustic guitar and was heavily inspired by Blackbear, MOD SUN, and MGK, and it has evolved all the way into the fully produced pop-punk version that Matt and I dropped with hyper pop and hip-hop elements. Adding Matt Priscilla to the track was the newest edition, and I think it might be the best version yet!
Q: How do you want this song to make listeners feel?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: I always want listeners and fans to feel less alone when listening to my music. I always say that I chose my name, Jack The Underdog, because I wanted to stand up for and create space for the underdogs of society – including marginalized people or people that feel ignored, bullied, or pushed to the side. This song specifically seems like one that could really connect with a listener, but also could just be a fun party song for people to sing along to and forget about life for a little bit.
Q: How long have you been creating music and what do you enjoy most about it?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: I’ve been a musician for the majority of my life. I started my musical journey with cello in the school orchestra and very quickly switched over to the rock side of things. I wrote my first song around age 7 ish, and have never stopped since! Music is a release for me – almost like therapy. It feels really good to write songs about emotions that are hard to process or overcome. I love the idea of taking a potentially negative thought, and turning it into a piece of beautiful art that helps you and others around you in similar positions work through those feelings.
Q: Aside from making music, what do you spend the bulk of your time doing?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: I have a guinea pig named Scooby-Doo and a cat named Johnny Cash that I love with all of my heart. I am also a social justice advocate, so I spend a lot of my time working in that field, as well as playing a lot of Pokémon haha.
Q: Now, that sounds interesting! I think this is a lovely collaboration. Can we expect to hear more songs from it?
JACK THE UNDERDOG: Thank you so much ^ . ^ Absolutely! Matt Priscilla and I are a part of the Riot House, so there are already more collaborations between Matt and me on the Riot House page. Riot House has some cool plans coming up soon – so stay tuned for that!
Interviewed by Zoey King
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