Jack Kays

Blending the catharsis of punk and emo with rugged acoustic folk and occasional detours into cloud rap, Jack Kays’ music is surprisingly straightforward, though hard to pigeonhole. After a handful of independent releases, the Ohio native found viral success with his sparse but aggressive acoustic songs, especially “Morbid Mind.” Signing with Columbia Records, Kays released his debut album, Mixed Emotions, in early 2021. My Favorite Nightmares, a collaborative EP with Travis Barker, appeared later that year, followed in 2022 by the solo Cessation EP.
While growing up in Cincinnati, Kays was in and out of trouble and struggled with addiction during his teenage years. He found salvation and self-expression in music, recording minimalist cloud rap songs, and he later veered toward an intimate acoustic sound based simply around his acoustic guitar and voice. Concurrent to his budding music career, Kays attended culinary school and found work in various kitchens while gigging on the side. Initially reluctant to use certain social media platforms, he was convinced by his then-new manager to post a song. It didn’t take long for the melodic and moody “Morbid Mind” to go viral across social media, and Kays used his newfound cachet to land a major-label deal with Columbia. Mining his own experiences, personal songs like “Gin n Juice” and “Bottom of the Bottle” helped increase anticipation of his debut album, Mixed Emotions, which appeared in February 2021. Kays capped off the year by collaborating with Travis Barker on the joint EP My Favorite Nightmares. A series of singles including “Wish You Well” and “Finally Fine” appeared throughout 2022, culminating in a solo EP titled Cessation. ~ Timothy Monger