This is my first post since 2021, and yesterday my dearest friend and closest collaborator @jacobcollier achieved something relatively extraordinary— being nominated (again) for album of the year for his beautiful and moving culmination to this epic 7 year long Djesse adventure.
This week has been just about as intense as a week can be. But I’m so grateful for this insane honor, and for getting to be here with J on tour the moment we found out.
I’m really proud both of J and this record for lifting so many up, and offering a voice and platform to such a long list of unbelievably special collaborators. And I’m also just as proud and inspired to see him share his individual artistry and vision with the world, following his instincts (even in tough moments) to bring us all so much joy and warmth. Q loved this record and he would be so proud right now.
We have such a special team as well: @mjpeha and @fellzy with us since the start of it all, @franiam as our newest superhero and visionary, and so much love and inspiration from @suziecollier .
Alex and my family have been so insanely patient as I’ve been through some pretty big ups and downs, so they’re a part of this too.
Mostly I’m grateful for Jacob’s friendship and the chance to be along of this crazy ride. It gets crazier and it gets bigger but we still have the same core of playfulness and exploration and that’s so cool!! Here’s to more crafting and creating - and especially now when we need joy and love more than ever.
@wearemovingtheneedle is a really important new org by @emilylazarlodge that has the goal of providing scholarships and other resources to create measurable change for women in the music industry. 2% of producers and engineers in pop are women! Jeeez. We gotta push for better!! Check them out to learn how you can help!
We had a wonderful wonderful adventure yesterday!!! Congratulations to @jacobcollier on his 5th Grammy!! Brother, this is such an incredible ride and you continue to astound me every single day!❤️❤️ Thank you for having me along with you, for being humble, kind and thoughtful. It was just the greatest joy to spend the day together, and all of this just makes me that much more excited for what’s coming down the pipe.
@mjpeha@michaellatorre_@iamarmvndo@fellzy I think only our little crew will know just how intense the week was. You are just the best team and family anyone could dream of and it’s an honor to work with you.
@thereal_chuck_bass@an_erin@somaoptical I am so grateful for your bottomless wisdom and advice and patience. Such new things!! But wow, I went in that room feeling like a boss and you are the reason!!!! I’ve never walked in to spontaneous applause before. Thanks for the insanely wonderfully ridiculous look!!
@chelstevens_@jewelspeha@lpeha Thank you for taking us in and looking after us and letting us make another big mess all over the house again!! Hermosa really feels like home because of you.
@suziecollier we missed your presence so, so much and I cannot wait to give you a really really big hug!!!!! Thank you for everything that you are. And for the emergency wardrobe consultation and advice :P
For @j_corden , we added a disklavier to the one man show setup at Abbey Road!! 🎹 And I ran it via OpenVPN from Northampton along with our now signature zoom monitoring setup. :)
@robfishermusic saved the day in a gazillion ways (again). 🕴🍱🎸
@quincyjonesproductions@fellzy@mjpeha@michaellatorre_@iamarmvndo kicking butt as usual 😎
@jacobcollier nailed a really complicated brand new arrangement with only a few hours of rehearsal, then (again) crushed post :) still mind blowing, brother 🤷🏻♂️ 🧡
@jonbellion puts on one hell of a show!!! There’s Something so insanely special about a group of really amazing players in one (socially distanced!) room. Eternal thanks to @saxmachine819 and @clydelawrence21 for having me along for the ride!! ❤️❤️❤️
@jacobcollier it’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with you, and an even greater joy to be friends and brothers. Congratulations congratulations congratulations!!!! What an indescribable honor to be a part of this team and to get to be so close to your process. And to see my name on the screen is sort of mind blowing, and something I never expected in a million years. I’m so proud of what you did and what we did together. And there are so many who made it all possible- @mjpeha , you are an absolute hero, working 24/7 to pull off miracles, and @fellzy , you keep us all together as a family and guide us and open so many doors, @michaellatorre_ you kept us on track despite an infinitely changing set of demands and timeliness, @emilylazarlodge your wisdom, genius and crazy skill took us across the finish line, and @nickgroff you are our champion in the big leagues and your sense of what’s what is so invaluable! Thank you all but most of all thank you Jacob for being so wonderful and for this insane and unbelievable adventure. 🧡
I love that everyone will make these songs their own starting today. But beyond public streams, social media and press, there is so much more. I wish you all could experience the staggering depth and breadth of magic that it takes @jacobcollier to dream and shape and create so thoughtfully and intensely. I wish you could see him doing it while simultaneously caring for everyone on his team, lifting up his fellow artist collaborators, trying to make positive change in the world, and staying thoughtful and grounded. I want to celebrate these things, which come through in the music, but I think should also be mentioned explicitly. J, thank you for letting me be a fly on the wall, watching the magic unfold while the family grows strong and deep. I can’t wait for the future and to see what you do next. 💚
#blackouttuesday I’m going to leave this up since I don’t post very much and I don’t want to be silent. But action is more important than any post. I am donating, having hard conversations, looking inward, and trying to be ok with messing up and being uncomfortable. If you listen to, make, or profit from mainstream contemporary music you are benefiting from black culture and a history of oppression and hardship. It’s time to take some action - donate, march (peacefully), listen, learn, help.
Throw back to the last show I got to mix back when shows were a thing! @lawrencetheband are wonderful wonderful epic badasses and I felt super lucky to get to help with this gig! There’s nothing like a sold out Fonda!!! 😛 I also got my first test drive on @allenheathmx dLive! This is one crazy little 128ch desk (that you can fly with!!) annnd we got Clyde and Gracie on @shure KSM9 which I’ve been excited to do since I first heard them :p. Overall so so so much fun!! Really really missing live concerts :( we gotta make streams with the same magic! 📸: @djesseadler
Ahhh woowww. Can’t really quantify feelings right now. @jacobcollier words don’t really begin to cover it. You’re such a crazy ridiculous talent but also such a wonderful warm thoughtful gracious friend. I feel so insanely lucky to be along for this wild ride. Here’s to many more adventures 💚🙏
