Two weeks ago, before spring break, UWO senior Jake Laforest (Midwest Jake) was studying at a desktop computer in Polk Library dressed in black jeans and a button-down shirt, listening to music and constantly looking at long blond hair that falling off the back of his hat.
Two weeks later, and after spring break, he has a shaved head, a new music video on YouTube called “Sex With My Ex” and a project called #HappyToBeSad due out this month.
It's part of his new mindset, Laforest said. He is more optimistic. His whole outlook on life has changed. “I needed a fresh start and I'm really trying to be more positive now. I deal with depression and anxiety a lot, and it was just time to do something new. I was just telling my friend on the phone — it makes a world of difference.”
“Sex With My Ex” is Laforest's first music video, and in just two weeks it has garnered the attention of 611 viewers on YouTube and prompted comments from two listeners who covered the song “fire.”
In early 2017 Laforest wrote a song titled “Mama's Boy”. She said on Facebook, “This song is very special to me,” and, “To the most important woman in my life, I love you mom.”
He also called out his dad in one song, saying: “He's mad it's the man's fault, me having the toy it's my dad's fault.”
“They're super awesome,” Laforest said, grinning from ear to ear. “I have friends who record and their parents will tell them to turn it down or this and that, but mine don't. I realize I'm chasing something that's not very likely and kind of abstract, and as a parent you'd want your kids to chase something safe, and they just keep showing me love. When it comes to my dad, he just wants me to put the pedal to the metal and go.”
During a low period in Laforest's life, he wrote a song about disappointment called “Desire” dedicated to “anybody left with nothing but a proof of reading” and how “girls like you don't respond to guys like me”.
“I had just broken up with my girlfriend,” Laforest said. “There's always rappers and musicians who are great with the ladies, and that's not me. I'm generally not the type to go up to a girl and start a conversation, and I've been too many times where I've approached a girl and been turned down. I just wanted that to be the anthem because I know other kids are going through it.”
Laforest said his latest song “Sex With My Ex” is about the same girl he wrote about on “Desire.” He said that this song is his most special work and he has put more work into this song than any other song he has done.
Taking his talents a step further and broadening his horizons, Laforest learned how to produce for this song, which made it even more of a triumph for him.
“That song in particular I've put over 200 hours into,” Laforest said. “I don't do that with every song. He's like my baby. I've been working on it since mid-summer, and just being able to shoot a video for it was really fun.”
By the numbers, Laforest has 583 followers, 21 tracks and 729 likes on SoundCloud with the song “Amigos” garnering 1,087 plays and 53 likes. On Spotify, Jake has 76 monthly listeners. The numbers don't lie: Laforest is getting attention.
Small steps need to be taken to end #HappyToBeSad, Laforest said, but he promised it will be released this month. Those interested can follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at Midwest Jake to stay tuned to his updates.
