Jared Ethan Blake‘s story is one of a young South African man who has followed his dreams from the Platteland of the Western Cape to Berlin. The artist grew up between small rural towns where he fell in love with music aged just five years old by singing gospel at church . From there, he dived into musical theatre and talent competitions and at one show at a theatre owned by famed author and actor Peter Dirk Uys, his rendition of a Britney Spears song impressed Uys so much that he offered to sponsor Blake to have a private education in Cape Town that nurtured his talents for music and drama. After his studies, Blake worked in fashion magazines while pursuing acting and performance, his ambitions leading him to his current home in Germany.

Blake‘s deeply touching song-writing often takes the listener on a journey through his personal experiences of melancholy and the search for love. He sings of a romance that many of us – including himself – dare not say out loud, and it’s through his vulnerability that we can all find ourselves. Following his soulful 2021 debut EP, ‘Lovers with Tales’, comes his new release, ‘Give It All Away’. We sit down with the artist to talk about that sweet spot between pleasure and pain.

What can you tell us about where you were brought up?

It’s the whitest place in Africa. I find it very difficult to speak about where I’m from. The one thing I can say about that kind of small farm town is that I never want to live there again. Small places like that breath a backward thinking and there were a lot of things that I had to get over. But parents were great anchors for my brother and I. Working as brown people to push the direction of our lives, they were always supportive and fully embracing of who I was.That's why I have always felt a sense of freedom because I grew safe and valued. 

What kind of music defined your childhood?

I vividly remember that my mum and her sisters were the vocal trinity: Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey - three cover girls. My uncle used to listen to Puff Daddy and I will never forget the first time I heard the DNA remix of ‘Tom's Diner’ by Suzanne Vega. My uncle would play it and I was totally impressed. Then my grandfather listened to a lot of blues and my grandmother was in church. So, it wasn’t only one kind of music that defined my childhood.

How did you actively get into music?

I had a quite a sweet little beginning and started singing at the age of five. I was always in trouble with my mum because my mouth never shut. I was always singing. I remember having to learn the words of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and practicing it. That was like C-L-I-C-K, okay, I’m singing at concerts on Sundays. Then when I was seven I took part in a showcase at a performance space in Darling called Evita se Perron, which is where some of the biggest satire playwrights in South Africa develop cool characters. After the show, Pieter Dirk Uys, who is big in the entertainment industry, came up to my parents and offered to facilitate getting me into a school where I made music and played drums every day.

What attracted you to Berlin?

I first came here in 2017 for a performance job then continued travelling around Europe being my best self and found I really liked it in Berlin, even though it was never on my list. It’s a melting pot so I have stayed for the people. And in comparison to back home, I can walk around here in my shorts with my heels at 3am and not worry that much about my safety.

How would you describe your song-writing process?

A pad of paper is the best way to do it. I try to not overthink it. I choose one word, for example the spoon, and write about why it's silver and why I have to pick it up with two fingers. I can never really remember why I wrote things down, because I write quite fast and never sit with anything for too long. Coming back to something, it's really overrated. What I like is poetry and singing, telling the truth but in the most romantic way. I wish I could write a happy song but I am most drawn to things that make you feel a little uncomfortable. I also write why I’m a bad lover.

What should we know about your new EP, ‘Give it all Away’.

I recorded these songs at the end of 2021 and was afraid of releasing them. I’ve always written my own lyrics and for me, storytelling is very important. I fall into the idea of being sad and sexy. That's my attitude every day. ‘Give it All Away’, ‘You (Would You Ever Have Him)’ and ‘Oh La La’ are written on the womb. The producer was around the sound and I started singing. I never thought I wanted to do dance music and yet here I am.

What feelings does the EP evoke for you, and for the listener?

For me it feels like the end of an era. I recorded the EP when I turned 30 and during the pandemic, it was even more intense. For the listener, I want them to feel every story in their own way. I don't like creating full shadow feelings for people. It's not my job to project feelings onto you. I project music. Some people will feel happy and some sad, because of their own personal attachments and contexts.

How do you compare the experience of writing with that of performing?

When I’m writing I feel insecure but performing feels like a drug.

Please tell us about this story you have created with Daniela Müller-Brunke for Nataal.

It was a reference to my first curtain call back in Platteland. Daniela said she‘d liked to shoot in the space and for me to navigate it. It was beautiful as I was free to express myself, feel the clothes and make it work. I love that. It was pure collaboration.

What is your overarching message?

We will punish ourselves for years to come, but you have to get over it. You have to get to the next moment.