J. I. Gassen Releases dreamy new single ‘How do you know it’s not a sign?’

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Washington-based multi-instrumentalist J. I. Gassen is known for creating introspective and psychedelic bedroom pop.

With his latest single, ‘How do you know its not a sign?’, Gassen starts the track off simply, with only a solo Ukelele accompanying him in the first verse. This, along with the artwork, (a depiction of a lone man jumping into open water) evokes a sense of quiet isolation, like he is singing this song on a desert island in the middle of the ocean. 

This new single is highly introspective, questioning the meaning of coincidences and further discussing things such as worldview and differences of interpretations when it comes to the things that happen in our day-to-day lives. The lyrics are strong and emotive, with the standout line being the stunning “Every sailor needs a boat”. Despite the rather deep lyrical topic, Gassen gently croons his lyrics with ease, almost nonchalantly, like he is ok with not knowing all of the answers to the questions he is posing.

Gassen provides a hauntingly beautiful vocal performance towards the mid-point, as the song can slow right down to its bare bones and a chilling, distorted piano accompanies him as he hits some rather impressive high notes.

You can easily see this song being played at the end of a coming-of-age film as the main character drives away from his small hometown at the end of a tumultuous summer.

This track takes a deeper look at life’s questions, but does it in a way that does not scare the listener, but instead simply invites them along for the ride.

Dan Jones

Image: ‘how do you know its not a sign?’ Official Single Cover