Meet Jared Meyer | Musician/Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jared Meyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jared, why did you pursue a creative career?
To inquire why I decided to pursue a creative career, may in fact be a question in reverse.. I’m not sure why, but it seems Creativity is in pursuit of me. I can’t seem to shake it – I’ve tried. I CONTINUE TO CREATE.. being drawn to retreat to studio spaces and workshops of all kinds, I’ve spent the last 15 years seeking to create songs and art that is honest, inspirational, adorned to meet the occasion while hopefully not intrusive to others unless activating some indelible, if not uncomfortable, benefit of one’s self-discovery. Surely something of my past twisted these paths and sent them careening together through my interspacing of this time I exist within – whether destined or granted, probably matters none.

Since I started writing music at 14 and recording it on a 4-track cassette recorder, I’ve not been able to stop. It’s my truest obsession. It’s the monkey on my back incessantly calling me to pick up an instrument and record a sound.
I think that because to me, when portrayed sincerely, music has always been the purest translation to understanding another person’s inexpressible feelings. The rawness of the atmosphere created by just a few sounds, no visual (aside from your own surroundings), and perhaps a lyric to exact a point, culminate in such a simple, clean truth when compared to deciphering film or book. I’ve been more deeply effected by far more songs than by movies (which also makes sense because: how many songs can be fit into a single movie? lol!). Songs are feelings distilled in harmony and lessons learned. They’re re-discoverable, reusable, shareable, affordable, they can make you feel strong again, or they can touch a pressure point. Space and time: either or both, traversed in an instant by the twinkling of piano keys. Songs can be based on thoroughly genuine, organic sounds and subject matters or completely falsified, processed, and synthesized to protect the innocent. Songs mean everything to some people, and yet they evaporate into nothing as soon as all the sings are sung, and strings are strung.

Over the years I’ve tried to expand my horizons of listening so as to experience more of these shared feelings through song and sound performance by folks both near-by and far-out, and I’ve experimented personally with damn near as many song producers and sounds. I seek to continue to hone and craft these sensibilities and disciplines of song-writing and recording production in tandem as far into my future as I can fathom because there is not an exact science to articulate these transcendent truths as such – as simple as the end result sounds. The best songs come at all hours and without warning, but usually after many hours of hard preparation. So I just try to stay ready as best I can, while steadily moving forward through time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve worked in groceries for the past 15 years. Food is a serious business, but despite the demand for “healthy”, “high quality” food in stores, there’s often a simultaneous and rival desire for “cheap” “easy” food, and little respect for those producing/supplying the products, as demonstrated by declining wages and working conditions considering what is expected from the laborers in the field. I have persevered so far, simply due to having creative outlets like my band, A.M. Pleasure Assassins, with which to identify and find the values of self-worth that most corporate service/retail/grocery entities are effectively starving us of, but the aforementioned friction does inform my work.
Within my lyrical content and other creative output is a consideration of equitability and equality, and a call for mutual offerings of honesty, attention and compassion within one’s personal AND professional lives, because they do run parallel and are all part of the bigger picture of life. I’m just trying to uphold the reminder that we’re all always interacting as humans with other humans, little else. Sparking-up some fun and having a sense of humor about it all is certainly the most important part – otherwise things can get really dark really fast. My current band is a bunch of funny-guys so things stay far from serious in the best ways when we’re working.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Places in Fort Collins to visit – Traversing a few trails at Horsetooth Reservoir are a must, and some Poudre River walks are definitely in order. After y’all have sufficiently sated the self-induced need for calories, in the form of pizza and beer, at the Surfside 7, hopefully there’s some local music enjoyment to be had at one of the local venues or pub/venues.. Avo’s open mic is always an interesting affair to get things started on a Tuesday night and get some tempeh burgers in-hand. In the morning, convene once again in Old Town Fort Collins to enjoy some FoCo Do Co Donuts and coffee, or perhaps score some pastries and pie at the Little Bird Bakery. Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is a must-see for visitors of Fort Collins – inspirational in so many ways – Town/local history, Science-y stuff, touring exhibits….

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Of course I’d be silly not to think I’ve not had a lot of help along the way. One person who seems to continually replenish my steam each time I’ve spent it, is Greta Cornett. Greta has been a massive help to so many bands, especially in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. She’s president of the Fort Collins Musicians Association and played trumpet in the ska band 12 Cents For Marvin. I definitely owe Greta a debt of gratitude for checking in from time to time, and imparting some extra inspiration and wisdom always exactly when it is needed.

Website: https://ampleasureassassins.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.m.pleasureassassins/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/am_plsr_asasins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ampabc

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWRdR9w9zczf-Jb3SDTobQ