Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Jacob and Fanny

Pop duo Jacob and Fanny are a match made in music. Partners in life and in their craft, the pair is making some serious noise in the industry with their recently-released ballad, “Hold on to Me”. The single explores the vulnerability of a relationship, and how to trust the person you’re with enough to show them your authentic self, flaws and all. It’s the sophomore release from their forthcoming self-titled EP (out June 7), and Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with couple.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Fanny: I started super young. My father was a musician. He taught me piano and he used to take me into the subway station to sing for tips when I was four-years-old. Music has been a big part of my life ever since I can remember.

Jacob: Same for me. My dad wasn’t a pro musician, but he plays a bunch of instruments. We had a music room in our house growing up, and every weekend he’d play along to his favorite jazz or pop albums. I started playing piano as soon as I could reach the keys, figuring out the theme songs of cartoons.

Fanny: Oh my gosh, I did that too, but with the song that came before the news that my parents watched every night. [laughs]

PC: How did the two of you meet? When did you know you wanted to form a group?
Fanny: When I first left Montreal, I was working with a vocal coach in New York. Jacob was also one of her students and she tried to get us to write together, but we didn’t connect until later.

Jacob: When I moved to L.A., I wrote my vocal coach and she said, “Fanny just moved there, too! You have to get together!” So we met at a cafe on Melrose Ave. and ended up spending the entire day together. We started writing songs together and fell in love.

Fanny: But at first, we avoided doing the band because we thought it was too much—being a couple, writing together and being a duo. It wasn’t until our friend asked us to fill in a slot at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood that we decided to do it. The crowd loved it and we loved it. We recorded demos in our living room and six months later, we got signed by L.A. Reid.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jacob:It may sound cheesy, but definitely Fanny—100%. Meeting her changed everything for me. The songs I wrote weren’t just songs to me anymore. They had an extra dimension and felt special because it was our story.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Hold on to Me”. What inspired the track?
Jacob: “Hold on to Me” is about being vulnerable with the people you love. Even though we’re crazy about each other, we’re both super stubborn. We used to fight a lot.

Fanny: It gets easier when you understand where the person is coming from, and what their past experiences are. It also gets easier by understanding yourself on a deeper level and breaking down your walls. “Hold on to Me” is about being there for someone no matter what, and also trusting the person enough to show them the real you, flaws and all.

PC: You’re releasing your self-titled EP soon. What can you tell us about it?
Jacob: All the songs talk about an aspect of our life together. We wrote most of them with the producer John Cunningham. He was the first person we worked with that understood what we wanted to do with the sound. We love pop production, but we also love the rawness of the songs when we first write them, with just a guitar or piano. The EP walks that line between the two.

PC: If you had to pick one song that best encompasses the EP, what would it be and why?
Fanny: I love “Home” because it’s emotional and romantic, but also high energy. It’s also my favorite to play live.

PC: You were signed to Epic Records, but decided to go independent. What went into that decision? What are some of the benefits/challenges of being independent?
Jacob: Our time with Epic was an amazing experience. We worked with so many talented people and grew as artists and people. But being independent gives us a lot of freedom. We can try stuff and just put it out. You have to be more creative since you have limited resources, but those limitations can actually be a good thing.

PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
Fanny: Trust your gut. Literally everyone has an opinion of what you should be doing and no one has all the answers. So it’s best to stay true to yourself. Also, surround yourself with positive people that you vibe with. That’s huge.

PC: As we look ahead in 2019, what does the rest of the year hold for you?
Jacob: This EP is the first body of work we’ve released, so we’re beyond excited for people to hear it. We have so much more music we want to put out. But first, we can’t wait to get on the road and play these songs live!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Fanny: I named my first Chihuahua after a French musical that I love called Marius et Fanny.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Fanny: I guess it’s kinda crazy how much mediation and ambient music we listen to—like Brian Eno, Music for Airports, and stuff like that. But the music business can be stressful, so we try to chill out when we can.

PC: First album you bought?
Jacob: I think it was Candy Rain by Soul for Real. I got so pissed and cried when my older brother borrowed the CD because when he gave it back there were scratches on it and it skipped.

Fanny: I had a Beatles Greatest Hits CD that helped me learn to speak English. “You say yes, I say no, you say stop, I say go go go.” [laughs] It’s a perfect language course! But even if I didn’t understand all the words, the melodies were so catchy.

PC: First concert you attended?
Jacob: My dad used to take me to concerts when I was little. I think it was either James Taylor or B.B King.

Fanny: Backstreet Boys! I made a cardboard sign and cried when they came out.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Fanny: Every artist dreams of playing the venue in their hometown where all the stars play. For me, that’s Bell Center in Montreal.

Jacob: Superbowl! [laughs] Go big or go home!

To keep up with Jacob and Fanny, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and pick up “Hold on to Me” on Amazon Music, iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.