Jakob Ogawa
April

Notoriously shy, Jakob Ogawa prefers to let his music speak for him. Through his music the 22-year-old pop prodigy hailing from Oslo, Norway, uncovers love and the intimacy in human relations in a new and swooning light.

Growing up in a musical household, Jakob’s musical pursuit felt nothing short of natural. Singing from an early age might have aided his musical connection, and the innocence can still be traced in his hazy chords to this day. Yet, Ogawa’s swaying melodies and distinct vision bare witness of something much grander than childhood lullabies. There’s little doubt that along this early experimentation, Jakob also sport a sense of raw talent that has pop stardom simmering down the line.

As with a lot of Norwegian acts, Ogawa certainly have the hinge for slight melancholy down. Through the daydream visions and nostalgia-tinged chords, Ogawa seems to have paved out a pretty comfortable musical path for himself.

Taking inspiration from everything from nature to street walking, Ogawa experience the world through the lens of creativity. Merging elements from film, arts and music, his take on bedroom pop is nowhere near as introverted as one may expect. Though his 2017 EP debut, “Bedroom tapes”, was indeed made in his room, it still convey that sense of personal development that makes waves far outside the safety of those four walls. Described as the summer’s “shortest but best release” by Norwegian magazine, Subjekt, the EP was definitely a milestone for Jakob.

From summer daze to the more sultry blues that perpetrates the Norwegian autumn, Ogawa tends to his sprawling soundscape with an open creative mind. His Eps and singles collectively adds up to a impressing output at 22, and there’s more to come. The DIY artist has not exactly been resting on his laurels since his 2017 breakthrough, ‘All Your Love’.

On his latest creative endeavour, April EP, Ogawa once again treads new water. The EP is a searing honest effort, taking the multidimensional emotions of love under the microscope.

The single ‘You and I’ takes on a bubbly upbeat sound, paving out a wishful sort of daydream. The feeling are blooming, and it truly is love as Ogawa sings “I ain’t got much, but it’s yours, All of this”. The complete give away is explained like this: “I made ‘You And I’ while I was in a sort of happy/nostalgic state. I was in the beginning of a relationship and all these emotions and feelings I’d never felt before came to life, and I guess I was compelled to express this.”

Though no romance is without doubt, and 'Atari Acid’ glance behind the hard hitting romance. The uncertainty of completely fall for someone can be terrifying. “'Atari Acid’ is in a way the beginning of it all. I feel this is something most people can relate to”, Jakob explains. “You know in the beginning of a relation, when you’re unsure of what it all means. When you’re not searching for a relationship but it’s suddenly there out of nowhere. Sometimes you just fall so hardly in love that you loose yourself.”

Whilst ‘You and I’ delves into a rose-tinted sense of nostalgia and that giddy feeling relationships often evoke, the EP’s title track tells another tale. ‘April’ is a vulnerable tale of self-reflection, pondering matters and truths that are hard for everyone to face. “I wrote ‘April’ while in some kind of a search mode, I felt lost. ‘April’ reflects that feeling, but also that there’s still hope. You know you have to get through, but you don’t know how. You have to love yourself before you can love someone else”, he says.

Through his bedroom pop the singer has reached crowds far outside the Norwegian borders and gained him international notoriety. Ogawa was getting international media recognitions from the likes of FADER, Nylon and CLASH, all before he’s second EP has even landed. However, it is not only the media that is being sucked into Jakob’s universe. With millions of streams, it seems that Ogawa has created an integral connection with his fans.

Having played several showcases in Norway and Germany, as well as touring Europe supporting American LANY, Jakob is quickly establishing himself as an eminent artist on the European music scene. Last year also saw him booked for the main stage at Lollapalooza in Argentina and the Roskilde festival in Denmark. This summer he also played the prestigious ØYA festival in Oslo.

Now, flying across the pond in support of the April EP, Jakob is on a nationwide US tour, with 17 stops from August to October, incl. promo days in NYC and LA.

For more information, please contact Louis D’Adamio or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.