Some say he’s back, some say he never left. Regardless, Shaky is once again wielding a guitar in his home studio, shredding away the witching hour to bring his tour-forged brand of rock ’n’ roll to the masses without the mess of labels and middlemen. Kinda Wild II sounds like the dawn breaking over an all-nite rager; reminiscent of good times gone by, the bittersweet bite of nostalgia, and the hope that lingers on long past morning. If his 2025 debut, Kinda Wild (6 weeks NACC, #114 peak), was the party, the twelve-track follow up, Kinda Wild II, is the morning after – hangover and all.
With “In a Heartbeat” out now, we took some time to hear from Shaky. Read below to learn more about Shaky, the story behind “In a Heartbeat,” and what’s to come.
Hi Shaky! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
I ditched out of high school when I was a senior to be a roadie for this band, The Wildbirds – they started calling me Shaky Jake and it’s been that way for 20 years.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
York, Pennsylvania now that I have a family, but most of my music career was in Philly.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I’ve been making music, touring, producing, etc. since I was 16. I met my wife because her parents hired me when we were teenagers to produce her demo, haha!
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I’m 36 now, but I’ve been making the same music for 20 years. It’s melodic guitar-driven garage rock, but I like to explore my vocal range. So, you’ll hear vocals that remind you of Robert Plant, Dean Martin, Brandon Flowers or Julian Casablancas. I guess I’m a crooner and a punk at heart.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I manage a massive aluminum foundry during the day, employing like 100 people. I have a wife and three kids that I spend my evenings with… once everyone goes to sleep, I go downstairs to my studio and make music. Most songs of mine are made in one sitting – I believe in capturing the magic, not forcing things.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
My biggest influences don’t typically reflect the sound of my music… I love the Grateful Dead, The Clash, Bob Marley, ’90s French house music, African music, classical and jazz.
Who would you like to work with?
I’d like to work with Rick Rubin or Jack White – people who appreciate proficiency. As a producer, I love helping my label mates see their vision through. Sometimes though, I wish I also had a producer to help me organize my thoughts.
What are you listening to right now?
Dry Cleaning’s new album, Secret Love, is so good. It’s on repeat right now.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Last year was kinda the first official year for Shaky Records, and we put out 3 vinyls, including my debut solo album. That makes me proud.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
I spent way too much time in my 20s trying to perfect my songs. I guess it got me to where I’m at now, but in hindsight, I think that was unnatural to the process.
Now onto your release, “In a Heartbeat.” What inspired this song? What is “In a Heartbeat” about?
My brother and I lived in this crusty garage in Philadelphia around 2011/2012 that was called “the Rathaus” – we were in a band called Cold Fronts (Sire/Warner), and I suppose it’s mostly about the good times that we had back then – simpler times.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “In a Heartbeat?”
It’s a picture of the Rathaus stage by friend and former bandmate, Alex Smith, probably from 2012.
What was the creative process like when making “In a Heartbeat?”
I wrote this March 2025. One night, one sitting… I had all the music made in probably 2 hours with a demo vocal. I went back later and redid the vocal take once I had a chance to collaborate lyrically with my longtime friend and former bandmate, Sefton Eisenhart.
How long did it take to complete “In a Heartbeat?”
As mentioned, just one sitting and then one additional take of the vocals a few months later once the lyrics were done.
What is your favorite lyric in “In a Heartbeat” and why?
I love what Sefton did in the verses. My favorite line of his is probably “I guess the cops came, playing that shakedown game.” We never really had any problems with the cops at the Rathaus, even though it was a total illegal music operation, haha. On the last night ever, we threw the biggest party that we could. The cops came, and that was it, it was officially over.
What do you hope fans take away from “In a Heartbeat” and your music in general?
It’s raw, it’s lo-fi and hi-fi at the same time. I wrote like 60 songs last year, on top of being a dad and a boss at work. I hope people appreciate the work that goes into it, whether they really like it or not.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
My sophomore solo album, Kinda Wild II, comes out in April 17th. Album 3 is done and comes out later in 2026. I’m currently wrapping up albums 4 and 5. There’s a lot of music coming in the pipeline right now.
Where can we follow you on social media?
@shakyrecords on Instagram, and the same tag on YouTube.
@shakyjake is my personal IG, but expect some kid pictures and rants about injustice/how weird the USA is right now. If you just want the music, hit the Shaky Records page.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
