Jared Mancuso is a talented guy. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has played in bands across the United States. From his early days in suburban Pennsylvania writing and recording original Middle School Rock & Roll, to his multiple current gigs in the Southwest desert, Jared has made a lot of music.
With his lifelong friend Jared Bardugone, Mancuso formed “The Jared Project.” Over the past decade the duo has released a series of singles, EPs and albums. In 2020 the duo released two EPs, appropriately titled “Part I” and Part II.” Now living on opposite sides of the country, they worked together virtually on the project. Each recorded his respective parts in his own studio.
Before, during and after his many collaborations, Jared Mancuso has been making music all on his own. As a solo artist, he has produced a steady string of records since his debut 2014 album “A Very Pleasant Person.” Mancuso plays all of the instruments, mixes and masters the records completely on his own. Most of his material to date consists of bluesy, riff-rock. In 2021 he is shaking things up a bit.
“Go On” is the latest single from Jared Mancuso, released January 26, 2021. This time the versatile writer is leaning in on a late 90’s Alternative vibe. The record is an infectiously catchy Pop/Punk rocker that finds the artist woefully reminiscing about a relationship he did not handle well. In both style and substance the record lives somewhere in the creative space between Weezer and Blink 182. The “band” (again, it’s all Jared) is airtight. From the bouncing, sing-song melody of the chorus to the slick, Jack White-style guitar solo, the tune is some picture perfect post-Grunge Power Pop.
We had a chance to chat with Jared (virtually) about the past, the future and his new single. Check out the conversation, below. And dig into the lyric video for “Go On.” You can also hear the song on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links at the end of the article to connect with Jared Mancuso. Get on his profiles and get in the know on everything this multi-talented artist has planned for 2021.
8 Questions with Jared Mancuso
The Static Dive: Where are you from?
Jared Mancuso: Originally from New Hope, PA, then lived in NYC, and now in my second year as a Phoenix, AZ resident.
SD: How long have you been making music?
JM: Since I was a kid. I had a 4-track tape recorder and would make projects in my basement all the time. Then joined a jam rock band, playing bass, with a group called Urban Funk Monkeys when I was in 7th grade. Made albums with them throughout high school.
Then in college I teamed up with some friends to write and play drums with a group called Strike of the Heart, which was a bit of a pop-punk vibe. Shortly after that, the lead singer, Jared Bardugone, and myself created The Jared Project. We’ve release 2 full length albums, and released 2 EP’s in 2020, with a third on the way. Additionally, I’ve produced 3 of my own albums, and a live album.
SD: Who are the musicians involved in your project?
JM: I do my solo music on my own. So I’m playing guitar, bass, drums, keys, all of it.
SD: Who are your biggest musical influences?
JM: Weezer will always be near and dear to my heart. I’m a ’90s kid at heart, so I tend to bleed that vibe into my music, even if I don’t intend to. But of course I have a full blown obsession with The Beatles, love some ’80s music as well like Pixies, and then rewinding it again to the ’50s with Buddy Holly. I make my living playing in a group called Not Fade Away, which tributes (and amps up) ’50s and ’60s music.
SD: What is your greatest non-musical influence?
JM: Film. I love movies and television. I think we are living in a time with tremendously great content being created. I’ve always been attracted to movie magic, the cameras, the lights, practical effects, the hard work that goes into making something just right. If I weren’t eyeballs deep in music, I’d be going after being involved more in film making.
SD: What inspired you to create this project?
JM: It’s hard to say. Inspiration just hits sometimes. I journal, and then I mine the journals for lyrics once I have a song musically. In this case, there was a journal entry I had that I knew I wanted to get to. Then just hanging out in my studio and slamming out some chords, this song produced itself. So after that, it’s piecing it all together.
Because this one doesn’t completely fall into cannon for me, I almost released it as a SoundCloud single, which I’ve done for some of these offshoot singles before. But I really dove into the production of this one and wanted it to have an audience I wouldn’t normally reach with those other platforms. So I pushed to release it on major streaming services and have it be part of my official catalogue.
SD: What are your plans for the future (musically)?
JM: Well once the pandemic is over, hopefully back to playing live shows again. In the meantime, working on the final EP installment with The Jared Project, and I’m sifting through some demos I have to potentially start assembling another full length album.
SD: Is there anything else you would like to say?
Jared Mancuso: You might think this song is about you. And you could be right.
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