Frank’s Corner #12: In Conversation With Jake & Shelby
Small town beginnings, love forces, and new sonic ambitions.
Good to have you back again. I hope you’re staying warm and drinking a million warm drinks as the jolly season rolls in.
This week, I got the opportunity to hop on a call with Tennessee natives Jake & Shelby, the young duo who built the framework of their brand around the art of the online cover. With promising talent early and an evident knack for the straightforward, soft-sung ballad, the group quickly garnered a notable fanbase, taking their operation from a creative hobby to a full-blown career. Pocketing cosigns from the likes of Michael Bublé and Kim Kardashian, the duo credits a large chunk of their success to their professional and personal chemistry, as well as their simplistic production, which they use as a vehicle of sorts for their candid, crushing, and at times swooning lyricism.
“We like to keep our sound as close to how it sounded when we recorded,” Jake Lawson explains to me, followed by an immediate nod of agreement from the duo’s other half, Shelby Hiam. The two assure me that this lack of artificial MIDI synthesis preserves their initial, raw feelings from the songwriting process, which feels like a crucial, albeit successful tidbit. It’s this hyper-conscious, narrative-heavy procedure that makes “Learning to Love,” their latest LP, such a merry-go-round in the name of affection, numbness, and loss.
This was a lovely conversation…I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Congrats on the record! It’s been, what, around three months since the release now?
Jake: Yeah, just about.
Tell me a little about how that’s been — what you’ve been up to, and take it back to release day.
Jake: It’s been a really good feeling to have the record out. We worked on it for over a year, and there was so much energy put into it. When you’re making it, you get in your head — wondering what people will think. Not in a bad way, just hoping they connect with it. But once it’s out, those thoughts go away, and it’s like, “Boom, it’s done.” And that’s really freeing.
Shelby: Yeah, it felt really good to finally release it. We also did a little album release tour — a few shows right before it came out and a few right after — and it was crazy to see people already singing along to every word just a couple of days after we dropped it.
Where did you guys go for that tour?
Jake: We did five shows: started in Atlanta, then Chattanooga, and Nashville. After that, we flew to California to play in L.A. and Santa Barbara.
I’m super excited to talk about the record, but for people who might be discovering you through it, take me back to the beginning. When did you first start singing together and realize it was something special?
Jake: We met at a music school in Hendersonville, where we grew up. They had these cover band programs, and we ended up in a few together. At first, we didn’t talk much — we’re both a bit shy — but we enjoyed playing music together and noticed each other’s musicianship.
There was one song where it started with me on guitar and Shelby singing, and that became my favorite thing to play. My dad teaches at the school, and when I told him I wanted to get into songwriting, he said, “Shelby’s a great songwriter, you should write with her.” So he set us up, and we started writing together. Our friendship grew from there, and eventually, it just made sense to make it official as a duo.
You started doing covers online that really started gaining traction. Was there a moment when you realized it was becoming something bigger than that?
Shelby: Definitely. We already loved what we were doing, but within the first year of posting on social media, the response made us realize it could be something more. That first year was when we grew the most, and it felt surreal.
Jake: Yeah, and because of that support, we started leaning more into our original songs. We still love doing covers — they’re super fun — but originals are where our hearts are. The love from listeners made us confident to make that shift.
Was there something you learned back at school that still sticks with you creatively?
Jake: Yeah, for sure. I learned that music is such a primal, universal language. It connects people in a way words can’t. I feel honored to do this for a living — to make something that touches people like that.
Shelby: I’d agree with that.
Growing up outside of Nashville, how did that shape your sense of pop music or music in general?
Jake: It definitely pushed us toward making something organic — real instruments, real players. Nashville is saturated with great musicians, so that authenticity stuck with us.
Shelby: We also grew up listening to great pop artists and radio songs.
Any favorites?
Shelby: Taylor Swift, for sure.
Jake: Yeah, can’t go wrong with Taylor. What can’t she do?
Are you both big live music fans, too?
Jake: Absolutely. I’m actually going to a show tonight — Ariel Posen.
He’s a killer guitar player.
Jake: Yeah, and Wendlo’s opening. I’ve never seen them live, so I’m excited.
Moving into the album — I listened again yesterday and this morning. Opening with Loophole feels like such a statement. It’s huge and sets a new tone for you guys. Was that intentional?
Jake: We didn’t write Loophole specifically to be the opener, but when we listened through everything, it made sense. It starts small — just acoustic — and then builds into something big. It feels like an evolution, which made it the perfect introduction.
When you’re writing, how do you decide who sings what or which instruments to use?
Jake: It just kind of happens. There’s no formula — it’s whatever feels right.
Shelby: I honestly just love it when Jake sings as much as possible. We just go with what feels natural.
This record feels more intimate and organic. Was it difficult to resist overproducing or adding too many polished elements?
Jake: Yeah, we had to find balance sometimes. Like with Fragile — that one’s heavier on effects. We used vocoders and deeper bass sounds, but we made sure to add acoustic elements to keep it human. That mix ended up being one of my favorite moments.
I love how people have connected so personally with this record, talking about themes of longing, burnout, and numbness. Was that intentional?
Shelby: Not at first. We didn’t realize until after choosing the songs that they all told parts of the same story — learning to love. The nice thing is, wherever you are in that journey, there’s a song for you: falling in love, falling out, rediscovering it. It just came together naturally.
Jake: Yeah, we looked back and realized it formed a complete cycle — all the stages of love — without us forcing it. It felt meant to be.
If a new fan could only hear one song from Learning to Love, which one best captures that full emotional range?
Shelby: Definitely Loophole. It’s about getting out of something unhealthy, being scared to love again, but also being willing to take the risk. It’s got doubt, vulnerability, and hope — kind of the whole album in one song.
Jake: Yeah, I’d agree with that.
Do you think the album will always mean the same thing to you, or will it evolve?
Shelby: Hmm... maybe a little of both. It’ll probably always feel like a snapshot of this specific time in our lives — youthful, emotional, full of discovery. But time will tell.
While working on the album, were there any other forms of media that inspired you — other music, films, or books?
Jake: Yes. We were struggling for a while to figure out how our upbeat songs should sound since we naturally write slower, moodier stuff. Around that time, Role Model released Kansas Anymore, and that record’s organic feel with fun, rhythmic production really inspired us. It helped us figure out what our own uptempo vibe should be.
How have your goals as artists shifted since releasing the record?
Jake: For a long time, the goal was just to finish and release it. Now, it’s about getting it in front of as many people as possible, connecting more deeply with fans, and touring as much as we can. Meeting fans in person is one of our favorite parts.
Love that. Anything coming up that you’re especially excited about?
Shelby: We’re releasing a song tonight! It’s called Morning Light. I wrote it a few weeks ago — kind of a reflection on my childhood. I posted a snippet, and the response was really special, so we decided to release it right away.
Listen to “Learning to Love” on Spotify. Follow Jake & Shelby on Instagram.