Jake Minch chooses truth and transparency with his single, ‘Fingers and Clothes’
On May 30th, the Connecticut-born singer-songwriter Jake Minch released his highly anticipated single, Fingers and Clothes.
The lead single from his debut album, George which later released on July 11th, Fingers and Clothes is a poetic ballad about the pains of growing up.
Jake is best known for building his image on TikTok during 2020, a time when he realised that “everything changes when you have something to say.” Acting as his catalyst to fame, you’ll find that most of his videos on the app consist of him sat authentically in front of his camera, accompanied only by his guitar.
Having received high praise from many iconic artists such as Lizzy McAlpine and Noah Kahan, Jake’s music is distinctly different from current trends. As he stated in an interview with The Harvard Crimson, “A lot of people write victim music, so it’s fun to write villain music.” His distinct and vulnerable way with words in Fingers and Clothes opens his music up to an audience of listeners who are able to take Jake’s music and relate it to their own villain arc’s from a poetic, personal and non judgmental point of view.
The song has a double meaning, both of which have truly ‘stuck to the fingers and clothes’ of his fans worldwide. Jake explained both in a TikTok video: “this is about the failed attempts [of quitting smoking] and walking into a room smelling of cigarettes, and laying down with a romantic partner and having them be like ‘do you still like the person you had a crush on in high school?’”
The song feels like a beautiful impending doom - the realisation that maybe you don’t have it all together and the figures of the past haven’t truly said goodbye just yet - and maybe it’s a bit more obvious than you intended it to be.
Both the song’s meanings being about such different problems yet meeting at a central point of mutual understanding and relatability, mixed with the backing vocals of Alix Page and Malcolm Rae, gives the song layers that feel as if they are begging to be revealed, understood and listened to.
The play on words throughout the track is a clear indicator of just how much of a lyrical mastermind Jake is, with the obvious understanding that “said it sticks to your fingers and your clothes, and you think we don’t know but we all know” can be understood in terms of both his addiction to cigarettes as well as his desire for a figure of his past.
The song doesn’t begin with lyrics, but with the sound of an organ that can only be described as hauntingly beautiful. It feels as if this is Jake’s initial warning to his listeners that this album is going to get deep, but also offer great moments of reflection.
The line, “I was older than you but I was younger then” could almost be seen as a way of Jake reminding his audience that no matter the details behind their experience that has ultimately stuck to their fingers and clothes, it was valid - and even if they had been objectively older than the people who share this story with them, his listeners were still “younger than” they are now - indicating a communal, collective growth.
Due how mouldable the songs lyrics are, the idea of being older could be interpreted possibly as something different, enabling listeners to relate to his songs in their own unique way.
The bridge begins “and I need you more and more, cause I feel you less and less,” with the contradicting couplet “more and less” playing into this double meaning once again and painting the picture of a situation that frustratingly doesn’t make intuitive sense. The rawness and realness of Jake’s lyrics feel like a successful attempt at him analysing his listeners lives creating accommodating lyrics to all who will listen.
After the final bridge ends with, “and there’s nothing after this,” the song reaches a crescendo. There’s a pause after “and it sticks to your fingers and your – clothes,” where Jake creates the feeling of letting out a sigh of relief, as if finally admitting the imperfections has lifted the weight of his guilt and ‘villain’ persona off his shoulders.
Make sure to follow Jake Minch on Instagram for the latest updates on his work, and listen to his debut album, George on Spotify: