Jake Minch releases studio recording of viral song, 'handgun.'
On June 2nd, 2022, Jake Minch posted an original song on his TikTok page titled ‘handgun.’ The video very quickly gained the attention of music fans all across the app; Minch’s original post of ‘handgun’ now has 1.3 million views and over 250,000 likes. Minch gained universal praise for his lyrics, his chord progression, and for his voice; the post garnered awe-struck comments from some of the biggest names today in the indie folk genre, including Lizzy McAlpine, Noah Kahan, JVKE, alongside many others. Fans have been anxiously awaiting for Jake Minch to officially make his debut on streaming platforms, and Minch finally announced in late April that the full studio version of ‘handgun’ would be released on May 5th, 2023.
Every second of ‘handgun’ is magical. The studio version remains just as delicate and intimate as the original video featured on Minch’s TikTok page. The production elements are subtly but perfectly implemented; while some added effects enhance the emotional experience of the song, ‘handgun’ really feels like it is just Jake Minch and his guitar putting on a personal performance for the listener from his bedroom. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s personal; ‘handgun’ does not leave anything more to be desired.
Minch explained the inspiration and meaning behind ‘handgun’ through a series of three Instagram posts before the single’s release; in the second teaser, he shares that “Handgun is a song about bridging the gap between being a kid and being an adult and it is partially about the act of jumping too far ahead, but it is more importantly the whiplash that comes with the guilt I felt about changing.” Minch’s ‘handgun’ is a heartfelt testimony to the difficulties of youth, change, and acceptance.
In reality, it’s impossible to dissect and describe the emotions that ‘handgun’ produces for the listener. As people grow up, they feel pain, joy, anger, confusion, love, and every other emotion that can hardly be understood by someone who is trying to learn what their life is really about. However, Minch seems to transcend that gray emotional area; ‘handgun’ manages to capture the complex feeling of uncertainty and disorientation that follows as one leaves their youth behind them. The song is somber, fun, heartbreaking, and celebratory somehow all bundled up in one.
Minch has an unparalleled manner of story-telling that’s simply hypnotizing to listen to.
Minch finishes the song with the sentiment, “he spent his summers in the back of a car / learned the worst part of growing up / is learning how young you are.” Life always leaves people feeling as if they are left behind the curve, but ‘handgun’ reminds us that we cannot always take life too seriously. We’ll remember the embarrassing moments, the darkest times in our lives, and the fun experiences we share with our loved ones, and, ultimately, the culmination of those events will help us muster up some form of an answer to the question of what life is truly about.
While its studio release rolled out nearly a year after its original teaser on TikTok, Jake Minch perfectly satisfies the anticipation from fans with his debut release. ‘handgun’ is a stellar single from an absolute standout artist. With quite the impressive discography of other originals and covers also posted on his social media pages, it is truly exciting to see where the future trajectory of Jake Minch’s musical career lies.
Cover Photo: Jake Minch