Artist Spotlight: Jakubi

Jakubi just released a new single, Couch Potato, and I didn’t even have to listen to know it was worth sharing. Figured, if it’s anything like the material they’ve put out so far, it’s gold. The Australian quintet gave the music world a great first impression when their first three promo singles — Holiday, Can’t Afford It All, and Feels Like Yesterday — all reached #1 on HypeM, effortlessly blending elements of funk, soul and hip-hop with a unique flair. But even if you hadn’t come across Jakubi then, you probably heard Kygo’s remix of Can’t Afford It All: his tropical spin on the opening talkbox riff of lead singer and keyboardist Jerome Farah went big towards the end of last summer.

Jerome’s vocals are backed by a few really talented musicians: his brother Jacob on bass and moog, Jesse Rehaut on drums, Adam Kane on lead guitar, and Robert Amoruso on guitar and piano. All had played in Melbourne bands before joining up to form Jakubi. Lately they’ve been hard at work building their fan base while touring in Australia, Canada and the US, where they stopped in Los Angeles to record a debut EP (the product of a successful Kickstarter campaign). While the band has yet to announce what new recordings will be featured on the album, I’m positive that it’ll be worth a listen (and probably many more listens over). For now, check out the Couch Potato music video, and keep your eye on Jakubi.