On Saturday, Jack Larsen walked across the stage at the Auditorium Theatre, and accepted his diploma from Columbia College Chicago. Less than a week later, he will release his debut EP, Push-Ups, on Closed Sessions. It’s a fitting turn of events for Larsen. His music centers on growing up, and that odd transition from teenage exuberance to the excitement, confusion, and definite pressure that comes upon entering your early twenties and exiting childhood. Last week, ahead of his college graduation, Larsen released “Break”, the EP’s first and only single that also serves as a summation of the thoughts, feelings, and memories that make up the EP. Connecting the dots through milestones in his childhood, Larsen captures the coming-of-age aesthetic poignantly.
I’ve spent a lot of time with “Break” and Push-Ups. In full-disclosure, Jack was a student of mine at Columbia College last fall. That’s when I first encountered his music, and it’s a major reason how we all got here. I think Push-Ups is going to strike a chord with a lost of listeners, and am proud and excited to support it on CS. But don’t take my word for it. Listen and watch below.