In a new series, we’ll be hearing from a different person every month, reflecting on Reno music projects, current or not so current, and what makes them special and personally important to them.
“My dad often took me to shows as I grew up, but when I entered my early teenage years I started seeking more on my own. One particular band was responsible for the increased frequency of shows I went to. The forlorn, reverb-drenched bedroom sound of Jacob Rubeck’s Casino Hearts. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this was the perfect soundtrack for a somewhat melancholy 14-year-old. I tried to make every Casino Hearts show that was booked in 2014 and 2015. I would walk to Holland from my house, often bringing my little sister with me. This was the first time in my life that I felt like I was coming out of my shell and becoming my own person.
Casino Hearts was and continues to be important to me because it deeply influenced me when I was a young teenager. Going to these shows helped solidify a very important belief for me. Anybody can create meaningful, profound, and inspiring art and the only thing that gets in the way is the fear of starting. If you push past that and attempt to be confident in being vulnerable, you can create something that reaches out and touches hearts. The best part of this belief is understanding that literally everybody is capable of achieving this. This belief was only solidified when I was selected to create a music video for Casino Hearts during Holland’s 2014 4x4x48, a 48-hour music video making challenge. I was only 14, the youngest participant in the event, but everyone treated me like an equal. I remember Jacob being very encouraging and excited about the music video I put together for him.
A little later that year, I decided to start broadcasting an online radio show called “The Bottom 40”. Casino Hearts tracks like “stoned, curious, and in love” aired almost every show. The music of Casino Hearts was the perfect soundtrack to my early formative years and now produces a bittersweet nostalgia that continues to inspire me.”
You can listen to Casino Hearts HERE
