Ones To Watch: Jacob Sgouros
3 min read
With a set of vocals that ring with conviction and a song-writing talent that is reminiscent of prominent singer-songwriter staples such as Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini and fellow newcomer, Lewis Watson, who Sgouros has also shared a stage, it’s a disappointing wonder why rising act Jacob Sgouros is still a relatively unknown and unsigned artist. In an era where wash-away pop acts like One Direction and the myriad of flash-in-the-pan reality show hopefuls are two-a-penny and will eventually reside in the bargain bins of the diminishing record stores the world over, it is a great wonder indeed.
Hailing from Australia’s Southern Highlands, 16 year old Sgouros released his debut EP, Maybe, back in November of 2013. The collection, 4 tracks in total, offered us a glimpse through the windows of one of the brightest and no doubt soon-to-be-discovered teen artists to emerge from Down Under and left us begging for more.
The Maybe EP showcased an intriguing artist with admirable guitar skills and a powerfully emotive vocal tone and style. The EP was Sgouros’ first official release and has so far done a fine job in laying the foundations for what could quite easily be a fruitful career as a recording artist. The four song set has also served the charismatic Australian lad with a loyal following that is picking up in numbers daily.
The EP plays out quite melancholic with the theme of love forming its backbone; Sgouros convincing us that he knows all about the ins and outs of falling in love and having his heart broken once or twice and using some rather eloquent metaphors to convey this message.
One of the highlights of the EP is the track Grow where he is joined by his own harmonised vocal arrangement while he picks out the tracks acoustic, spine-tingling melody. As with the EP’s opening number, Please Don’t Go, the tone in the musicians voice changes to accentuate the change of atmosphere of the track in the closing of the song, showcasing a totally different, yet complimenting vocal style.
His Facebook profile describes Jacob as “a sixteen year old who thinks he knows about love”. Lines like “They say home is where you leave your heart / Well if that is true then I would leave mine with you / if that was ok even just for a day” tell a slightly different story so that statement may have some truth behind it but he certainly has a way of delivering lyrics that speak so deeply from the heart and echo with a sense of awareness and personal experience.
While there may not be much of a bite to the Maybe EP in terms of any upbeat inclusions, it is made up ten-fold with flowing and sentimental stories from a musician that is quite evidently skilled at his craft and is years before his time in terms of his songwriting abilities and that is what is most impressive here.
His music is unintimidating, refined acoustic pop; gently delivered but well-constructed and thought-provoking and, most importantly, memorable. Jacob Sgouros follows in the footsteps of some of the most successful players in the singer-songwriter genre but is well-equipped in doing so. We believe that it is only a matter of time before the right pair of ears prick up and things transform dramatically for the sweet 16’er.
Keep up to date with Jacob on Facebook.
Purchase Jacob Sgouros’ The Maybe EP on iTunes.
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
