Jake Stone, a musician based in Melbourne, has just released a new single titled Late Nights. This is the first of many projects in which Josh King, a prolific writer and producer, will collaborate. Late Nights is about someone who needs to feel like they’ve won after a breakup, so Jake explains, “A big element of the song is this need for victory after a breakup; someone who comes out better off and seems to move on too quickly.”
Can one really “win” a breakup? There is no victor when relationships break and feelings are damaged. And maintaining friendships with your ex’s pals after breaking up will slow your emotional recovery. In Late Nights, which opens with a wistful, meandering guitar line, our protagonist is caught in a downward spiral of heartbreak after discovering that his ex-lover has moved on.
He sings, ‘Still thinking ’bout the way that you let it end/ Still thinking ’bout the way you said we’re better as friends/ But right now it doesn’t feel like it…’ The pounding drums establish dramatic tension before the song’s sparse pre-chorus plays the blame game with taunting layered vocals.
The soaring chorus of Late Nights then enters, as if the singer is raising all of his last strength to let go of his pain: “Did you really mean what you told our friends?/ ‘Cause I really never thought that I’d be the bad guy…” As the song draws to a close, the bridge introduces a pivotal change in narrative: “This is the last time/ Thinking about all the late nights/ Wondering why your heart broke mine…”
The song’s pounding beats emphasise this pivotal moment. Late Nights comes to a close by returning to the stripped-down, reflective guitar riff that opened the song. Jake calls the entire songwriting process “bizarre,” but he was able to finish the song’s lyrics in just 30 minutes using the songs Heartbreak Anniversary by Giveon and Falling Asleep At The Wheel by Holly Humberstone as inspiration.
The song was created after Jake and his co-writer/producer transposed some piano chords onto the guitar and then raised the pitch of the melody by two octaves. After several days of hard work in the studio, Late Nights began to take shape. The mixing and mastering process, however, is what gave Late Nights its final form.
Gold Coast-based producer Blake Malone, who is most well-known for his work with Amy Shark, put in some serious mixing time. Jake thinks back on it and says, “It was incredible. He heard something new in the song, and it became something entirely different. After having Leon Zervos (P!nk, Rihanna, Beastie Boys) put the finishing touches on Late Nights, Jake was so pleased with the results that he proclaimed, ” This is perfect! That’s the plan, anyway. We can now say, “This is the best song we’ve ever written together!” The album Late Nights is now available on all digital music services.
Listen to “Late Nights” on Spotify:
