How did you two initially kickstart your music careers?
Jake Orrall: We lived in our van and threw our stuff in storage. No distraction and total dedication is the only way to do it.
What was the initial reason behind forming your label, Infinity Cat Recordings?
Jake: We didn’t have a way to get our music out to the world.
Jamin: We were bored too, I guess.
What’s kept you wanting to work together year after year?
Jamin: As brothers, it just became convenient at a certain point.
Jake: We grew up in the country and there was only one other kid in our neighborhood, and he was a total asshole. If there was another musician in our town we probably would have become a three-piece.
Why do you think this is the band that stuck?
Jamin: We put in the most work and, therefore, have done financially well with it.
What’s the songwriting process like?
Jake: There’s no method. I wrote a song last night because I was bummed that my girlfriend ditched me to hang with her friends.
What’s your advice to other musicians?
Jamin: Don’t live in an expensive city if you want to make music!!!
Jake: Play everywhere but your hometown and don’t move to LA or New York! Drive there when you need to.
How did you build a loyal following?
Jake: We didn’t rely on promoters and music journalists. We built it from scratch ourselves.
Golden question. Why do you love doing what you do?
Jake: Getting to do music full-time is like winning the lottery. Only 0.001% actually get to do it because it’s so hard to make money.
Jamin: I think it’s fun!
Jake: Oh yeah, and it’s fun. And we actually make money doing it. (Laughs)
Learn more about JEFF the Brotherhood here.
Portrait by Joshua Black Wilkins
Read more about JEFF the Brotherhood in the book, Word of Mouth: Nashville Conversations
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