Jillian Lake Requests That You “Don’t Scuff Your Shoes” in Indie Heartache Single

Gearing up for an album release in early 2022, Vancouver indie singer/songwriter Jillian Lake recently released one of the first singles she ever wrote for her album and it also happens to be her favorite to play live. It’s brimming with emotion, primarily heartache, and it’s easy to see how this would be a cathartic experience. Jillian shares,

This song is one of my earliest, when I first started spewing my feelings into songs. Back when I loved swimming in my heartache and indulging in overthinking every moment once had. Without holding back, I just poured my heart out onto the page – a messy and mumbling depiction of every feeling I was feeling as I felt it.

Jillian mixes velvet sounds and big feelings to transport you into her world of sweet sorrow in a way that will make you want to take your broken heart out dancing. Feelings transpored onto paper and into music, movements, and visuals – her complex collage of sound with moody folk undertones can be compared to indie female powerhouses like Feist, Maggie Rogers, and Phoebe Bridgers. Teaming up with musician producer, Jordan Klassen, Klassen brought in his cinematic and syncopated style to her stripped-down singer/songwriter form. Jordan has enjoyed a successful solo career of his own with 6 highly touted albums to his name. Together they created an album that combines her raw poetry and instinct for melodies with his expertise in song structure and instrumentation. The debut album is set to be out in early 2022 and is expected to make big waves after achieving nearly 1 million streams through initial singles and receiving support from outlets like EARMILK and EXCLAIM!, and placements on top playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

“Don’t Scuff Your Shoes” is the latest in a string of releases from her forthcoming album. Tender tones make up the majority of the soundscape, from the soft drumbeats and plucky guitar strums to Jillian’s breezy vocals. The dizzying lyrics contain an obvious amount of emotional energy from an aching heart that longs for the return of a previous love and holds onto hope for reciprocal affection based on past memories. The light-hearted melodies make for an interesting pairing against the wistful message, particularly because the lines prove just how far people might go for love, even if that love isn’t returned – “While you step on my heart I’m just worried you’ll scuff your shoes.”