It's not just the good looks, Jack Novak has established herself as a force to be reckoned within the electronic dance music scene. From her on point music production, energetic stage presence, and down to earth personality, she has everything going for her. It's hard for me to say ‘Up and Coming' because she has already been booked or played some of the largest music festivals, from Firefly Music Fest to Lollapalooza this August, and playing club shows in between these dates. Jack's hard work and talent is really starting to show and will only increase with time as more people discover what I already know. If you didn't know Jack Novak before, now you do.
Insert Firefly Music Fest…I was able to catch her set on the opening day of Firefly, and let me tell you…Jack Novak killed it. In fact, she opened up the Festival, which really set the tone and energy for the whole weekend. Her set was fantastic, as she played a wide variety of tracks from, ‘In my Mind' to her latest original track ‘Driving Blind', and even some Oasis ‘Wonderwall'. As her set progressed, more and more people filled into the Pavilion stage to catch a glimpse of the madness. At one point she even dove into the crowd, needless to say the energy level was at an all time high. Jack kept the crowd engaged throughout her set with a smile on her face, making everyone jump, and put their hands up…Exactly how every show should be. For some this may have been the first time seeing Jack Novak, but I have a feeling it won't be their last. I had a chance to sit down with Jack the following day to talk about Firefly, her next upcoming release, and many other topics.
You opened up Firefly Music Fest on the Pavilion Stage, tell us about your first Firefly experience
“When I got here it was empty because I opened the festival and I remember thinking maybe it will just be a more chill show and wasn't really sure what to expect but I always prepare to have a good time. I just play music that I love, mixed with my own music and hope that everyone else enjoys it . When I got out there I was really happy with the crowd, the energy was unbelievable. It was one of my favorite shows that I’ve played all year”
One thing that is really cool about you is how interactive you are with your fans on social media, talk a little bit about that
“Absolutely! I’m really a people person and I feel that if you support me then I should support you. I got into music because I love it but also because I love meeting people and Dance music really connects people from all over the world and brings them under one roof to enjoy it together”
How did the ‘Driving Blind’ Music Video come about?
“I have always loved music videos and still to this day if you put on a good video I will watch it over and over again. For ‘Driving Blind’ it was the first video that I made for free, by myself and I wanted something that had a little bit of a story. I didn’t just want people jumping up and down while my song played, I wanted something that would take you on a little bit of a journey. I actually have a new one that I am shooting at the beginning of July, the director is 19 years old and a ‘super genius!’ I can’t wait to shoot it with him!”
Tell us about your new song and video that is coming out soon
“It’s coming out in July. It’s called ‘If It Kills Me’ and it features Blackbear. It has a lot of guitar and piano but it’s still big. It is a beautiful song that I’m really proud of and I'm really excited to get an amazing visual to go with it!”
Do you prefer clubs or festival?
“Ahhhh, you know I really can’t pick! I love all of the shows and always have a great time”
How did you get involved in Bud Light’s Whatever USA?
“I did a how-to video on youtube that Bud Light ended up seeing and said that I should do it on a bigger scale. I ended up teaching 5 classes and then doing a show with Diplo. One of the students was an aspiring DJ so I took her under my wing and brought her to sound check before our show and Diplo and I ended up surprising her and asking if she wanted to open up the show for us! It was so great, I got to be a big sister to her and calm her down before she went on and everything. I remember being that nervous before a show so it was great to be there to help her with it. It was actually filmed and Bud Light is making a commercial of it!”
Do you have any collaborations in the works?
“I have a finished collab with Lenno coming out soon and I have a few other things that I’m working on, also. In the past month I’ve actually made more music that I love than in the past year. I've really been on a winning streak lately and I feel really good about it”
You said you have been on a streak lately, does your inspiration come in spurts?
“I feel like I’m in a really good place right now but it definitely does come spurts and even when I’m having a bad day I still keep going. You have to push through the days that it doesn’t go well, not only with music but with life in general”
You’re from Chicago and you’re playing Lollapalooza this year! Is it a homecoming of sorts for you?
“It’s really exciting to play Lolla. I grew up knowing about that festival and now I get to perform there and my whole family will get to be there with me too which is amazing. It’s an honor to get to play it”
Photos from Firefly Music Festival (via Facebook)
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Photo Credit (Header Image) – Danilo Lewis
