Title: “Silence So Loud”
Artist: Jack Dunn
From: TBA (2025)
Release Date: October 23, 2024
Format: CD Single, 7” Single, Digital Download, Weekly Airplay, Worldwide Streaming, Cassette
Recorded: Head South Recording Studios, Brighton, UK
Genre(s): Alternative Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Length: 4:17
Label: Head South Records
Written: August 2024
Writer(s): Jack Dunn
Producer(s): Jack Dunn, Quentin McEwen
“Silence So Loud” is the second single by English singer-songwriter ‘Jack Dunn’, following on from January’s debut single release “Lowlife” which became an unexpected hit for the upcoming artist. Since then Jack has spent the majority of the year working on his debut album, opting to double down on his efforts in the recording studio rather than attempting to cash-in on the unexpected success of his debut single with quick-fire releases and other opportunities that would have served to just burn out the singer. It’s widely known that the artist has worked hard to keep a low profile, only surfacing recently to perform a handful of songs on Brighton Pier as part of the first anniversary celebrations hosted by record label ‘Head South Records’. It was during that performance where fans got a glimpse of what was next for the artist as he debuted two brand new songs, “Silence So Loud” and “Sleepwalking”, the former becoming his follow-up single to “Lowlife” and the latter performed as a duet with fellow ‘Head South Records’ artist ‘Cerys Nyland’. The debut of both songs garnered a positive reaction from the watching audience and subsequent videos posted online appeared to be filled with comments from fans eager for new music to drop and generally positive in regards to the tracks debuted during the live performance.
In a recent interview ahead of the release, Jack discussed the unexpected success of his debut single and talked about trying to block out any pressure to have the same level of success with his future releases as well as hinting at what fans can expect with his second single.
“I can’t speak for everybody that bought or streamed the debut single, but for me personally a lot of the charm of that track was its relatability. We’ve all been kids and for my generation you really had to go out and make your own fun, we didn’t have the money and so had to rely on our own personalities to keep ourselves and our mates entertained. Honestly, I haven’t got that creative mind to come up with really in-depth intelligent art that takes multiple listens to understand and decipher. I’ve got me guitar and a fuck-ton stories based in the reality of where I’m from and where I’m going, how I think and what I’ve seen, good, bad and ugly.
That debut single doing what it did, blows my mind. It really fucking does and I appreciate everybody that took something from that song. But for me, it was important for me to take that step back and really take my time with things. It could have been so easy to just rush through recording sessions and get a bunch of other singles released and try to capitalise on the success of that track. But we stuck to the original plan and knuckled down in the studio, kept the focus on the album sessions and knew that it would mean more when we eventually got to the next single. Having such a long gap between the two releases takes a little bit of that expectation away from myself, obviously I hope that people take to it the way they did with the first one. I think it’s a bit of a shift in tone with a subject matter that’s a lot heavier, the first single was drenched in nostalgia but this one feels very relevant to the world that we’re living in right now. It’s one that’s just as personal to myself, but all of my songs are going to end up being that way. But it’s also sadly one that I’m sure will hit home and be very personal to a lot of people out there right now.”The track was written by Jack Dunn and produced by Dunn, alongside label executive Quentin McEwen and recorded at Head South Recording Studios in Brighton, UK. Set to be released on October 23, 2024 as a CD Single, 7” Single, Digital Download, Weekly Airplay, Worldwide Streaming and Cassette Single with a percentage of the proceeds going to UK based charity Samaritans.
BackgroundThe song begins with a strong guitar introduction and is quickly a full-band affair as the drums, bass and rhythm guitar create a cacophony of music and sound, done intentionally to give the idea of what it’s like to have a little too much noise going on at once. As duelling rhythm guitar and bass guitar fade into the backdrop of the song, we’re met with the lead guitar and drum combination pairing perfectly as it sets the scene for Jack to sing the opening lines of the track,
“Man, it’s so hard to have an actual conversation/Cause we’re raised on stiff upper lips and maintaining internal contemplation/Aye, the young lads a bit of a laugh/Life of the party and all of that/But where does he go when the laughter stops?/Left with his own thoughts/Thundering down like meteoric raindrops/And what was once just a caution/A casual wet floor sign/Has spent so long being ignored and unspoken/That it’s turned into/A fucking flash flooding warning.” and it gives the song a very clear identity as the theme of the song is clear from the opening lines.
Jack delivers his vocals in the opening verse between a restrained and sombre tone, like a storyteller setting the scene before it turns to explosive and pissed off rock and roll aggression as he delivers the songs pre-chorus and chorus combination as the music comes back in heavy once more,
“And you feel like you’ve gone too far now from the beaten path/That there’s no real logical way to get back/Ignoring texts and rejecting the sesh/Cause you don’t want to be the lad that makes everybody else feel fucking depressed.” which is delivered loud and aggressive, showing an anger which builds to the songs chorus as he howls out it’s repetitive refrain, allowing the listener to not only feel the pain in the lyrics but also feel the pain in his vocal delivery,
“Why can’t we just talk it out?/Why can’t we just talk it out?/Why can’t we just talk it out?/Why must the silence be so loud?.” and it gives a simple message, one that has been echoed a lot over the last few years but appears to fall on deaf ears.
The music falls back into line, allowing for Jack to deliver a more composed vocal during the songs final verse as he sings out,
“Another friend fallen by the way side/Why can’t we just talk it out?/We’re just brutalised by the toxic masculinity that we were raised on/Why the fuck do we all feel like we have to be so proud?/Lads don’t cry/Don’t be a soft shite/Yet, we’ll stand and ball our eyes out/Another day in our suit and tie/Just another fucking avoidable goodbye.” which appears to hammer home the songs message loud and clear, a seeming acknowledgement that this will just continue to be the cycle unless fundamental changes are made to the way young men are being raised, afraid to talk, afraid to show weakness. Once more the music increases in intensity as he howls out the songs chorus again a couple of times before the song comes to a close.
“Silence So Loud”“Man, it’s so hard to have an actual conversation
Cause we’re raised on stiff upper lips and maintaining internal contemplation
Aye, the young lads a bit of a laugh
Life of the party and all of that
But where does he go when the laughter stops?
Left with his own thoughts
Thundering down like meteoric raindrops
And what was once just a caution
A casual wet floor sign
Has spent so long being ignored and unspoken
That it’s turned into
A fucking flash flooding warning
And you feel like you’ve gone too far now from the beaten path
That there’s no real logical way to get back
Ignoring texts and rejecting the sesh
Cause you don’t want to be the lad that makes everybody else feel fucking depressedWhy can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why must the silence be so loud?Another friend fallen by the way side
Why can’t we just talk it out?
We’re just brutalised by the toxic masculinity that we were raised on
Why the fuck do we all feel like we have to be so proud?
Lads don’t cry
Don’t be a soft shite
Yet, we’ll stand and ball our eyes out
Another day in our suit and tie
Just another fucking avoidable goodbye
I’ve seen this too often in my short life
I’ve seen this way too many times
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why must the silence be so loud?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why can’t we just talk it out?
Why must the silence be so loud?”
Credits & Personnel;CREDITSProduced by Jack Dunn, Quentin McEwen
Engineered by Lewis Richardson
Mixed by Jack Dunn, Quentin McEwen, Charlie Willis
Recorded at Head South Recording Studios, Brighton, England, UK
PERSONNELJack Dunn – vocals, lead guitar, lyrics, composition, production, mixing
Ryan Hardy – bass guitar, composition
Andy Wilbur-Jones – drums, percussion, composition
Cherrie Williams – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, composition
Lewis Richardson – engineering
Charlie Willis – mixing
Quentin McEwen – production, mixing, production management
