Singer/Songwriter with S.O. Roots Performs at Local Venues

Years after leaving the area, singer/songwriter David W. Jacobsen has been returning to his suburban Essex County roots, participating in local Song Swaps and appearing at venues such as Rockn' Joe in Millburn.

"I've always tried to write real music, I've been composing since I was 13," he said. "I went through a phase of studying music that was more involved than what you hear on the radio. It gave me understanding and perspective. I really love the music that made me love music. That's what I've made my way back to."

The South Orange native and Columbia High School graduate will be playing Rockn' Joe Friday night.

He calls his musical influences diverse, including folk singer Phil Ochs, Dead Kennedys and The Smiths. "Phil Ochs had a great sense of sarcasm, he made a point by being over the top, by saying outrageous things that made people think," he said. "Folk can be pigeonholed as  'war is bad' but Ochs was in your face about any number of things."

Jacobsen points to the song  "Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends" as an example of one of Och's more cynical and sarcastic tunes. Ochs sings about events, one more terrible than the next, that are ignored by the general public. The dark lyrics are juxtaposed with a jaunty tune. You can hear Och's influence on Jacobsen in Christmas in Jersey City, a snarky song about someone who steals his girlfriend's car and crashes it. He winds up having to ask for her help in being bailed out.

Jacobsen is one of the new breed of self-publishing musicians. "A lot of people out there are like me, independent artists," he said. "I have a Web site and CDs.  If this were 1998, when all this was more difficult to accomplish, you'd be really impressed. It's just so easy now. I do all my audio recording at home on my computer."

But there's a flip side to ease of recording and getting one's music before the public he said. "With so much out there, it's harder to find someone specific in the sheer quantity of independent work. While that makes it harder for anyone to be really big, it's easier to have small groups of fans. People buy my albums online all the time. I have fans everywhere. There are people who just spend time online looking for quality stuff, things that they'll like."

He offers a tip to songwriters. "If you name your songs after people or places, or give them the same name as other popular songs—people will check the songs out. I have a song called 'Trenton,' and people Google the place and find the song. Same thing about people looking for songs with their boyfriend's or girlfriend's name."

He said he's planning to put out an album that looks like a Madonna or Pat Benatar cover album but has all original songs. "You can't copyright a title." Meanwhile, his latest CD is Walking Away From Wonderland.

Jacobsen lives with his girlfriend Jennifer in Jersey City along with their four guinea pigs named after members of the Jersey Shore cast.