The Melbourne trio’s new single expands from melodic indie rock into a 32-piece orchestral arrangement before ending with the sound of a crowd joining the procession.
by Paul Cashmere
Jacobs Run have taken their melodic indie rock into unexpected territory with “How Does It Feel (One More Time)”, a new single that builds from a conventional band performance into an orchestral and brass arrangement inspired by the sound of a marching street parade.
The song is the third single from the Melbourne trio’s second album, The Other Side, and was produced by Mark Opitz AM, whose production credits include Cold Chisel, INXS, The Angels, Divinyls and Australian Crawl.
Written by singer and guitarist Michael Jacobs, “How Does It Feel (One More Time)” centres on commitment and the moment when uncertainty gives way to something more definite. Its recurring question, “how does it feel?” is framed around being present, giving yourself completely and saying what needs to be said one more time.
The recording begins with Jacobs Run’s core lineup of Michael Jacobs, Peter Curigliano on bass and backing vocals, and Fabian Bucci on drums, with long-time collaborator Susie Ahern contributing backing vocals.
What happens later in the song was a much more ambitious proposition.
Michael Jacobs had imagined a parade appearing within the track, an idea that gradually takes shape as the arrangement moves towards its final section. A distinctly Beatlesque influence emerges, with the music developing into something resembling a marching band moving through the song.
To create that effect, Jacobs Run brought in conductor and orchestrator George Ellis and a 32-piece orchestra. The orchestral recording took place at the Simon Leadley Scoring Stage at Trackdown Studios in Sydney.
Ellis has conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and worked with artists including Lou Reed, The Church, Megan Washington, Josh Pyke and Kate Miller-Heidke. His current work includes The Church – A Psychedelic Symphony with The George Ellis Orchestra, which is scheduled for Melbourne’s Hamer Hall in November.
The orchestral recording was supplemented by a Melbourne brass section comprising Greg Clarkson on saxophone and flute, Tim Wilson on saxophone and flute, Paddy McMullan on trumpet, piccolo trumpet and flugelhorn, and Rodger Schmidli on trombone.
Together, the orchestra, brass and backing vocals transform the latter stages of “How Does It Feel (One More Time)” from a rock song into something more cinematic and processional. The album version extends beyond the radio edit, continuing into a longer finale in which the sound of a crowd joins the procession as The Other Side reaches its conclusion.
That decision reflects a broader approach to The Other Side. Rather than reproducing orchestral parts electronically, Jacobs Run used live orchestral and brass musicians for the album’s expanded arrangements.
The record was principally recorded at Wick Studios in Brunswick, where the band had originally developed its sound. Opitz produced the album, with Dan Corless and Cameron Hull engineering, Simon Moro handling mixing and editing, and Joe Carra mastering.
Jacobs Run formed in Melbourne after Michael Jacobs, Peter Curigliano and Fabian Bucci had worked together and separately in other local bands, including the six-piece Passion Box. The trio developed Jacobs’ songs through rehearsals at Wick Studios before recording their self-titled debut album in 2019.
The band’s early work also attracted attention in the United States, where songs including “Sleepwalking” and “Superman” received radio airplay during promotional activity in 2018 and 2019. Their progress was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, after which the collaboration with Opitz helped shape the second album.
“How Does It Feel (One More Time)” now provides a fitting conclusion to that record’s expanded musical palette. Jacobs Run will perform the song live in Melbourne at Shotkickers in Thornbury at 2:00pm on Sunday 22 November, with Peter Freebairn opening.
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