“My music, you can hate it, I make beats in a basement” is raw, honest lyrics from a DIY artist putting out art into the world just because. It’s a reflection of a guy who desperately wants to be genuinely humble. I know what that feels like because I’m that guy, too. My ultimate dream would be for Tuned Up to be a household name, but no one to know who Ryan Getz is. I realize, though, that is impractical, and that I have to be comfortable with the world knowing my story if I want this brand to continue to grow. And that my story is something to celebrate and not hide.

Jay Joseph released an EP last Friday, and I only know about it because of Twitter and the ubiquitous nature of certain fandoms. But I got to tell you all—Columbus has so many layers when it comes to being a music city. When I was putting together the 2021 Ohio Bands to Watch feature, every time I thought I was finished with the feature 5, new acts from Columbus alone seemed to pop up. It’s unending. In a good way. And Jay is worthy of inclusion, let me emphasize this, on his own merit as a DIY pop artist.

“Drywall” is a two minute blitz of a track that made me pause it and yell “Oh!”—the way you do when you hear a diss that’s absolute fire. “I can write my own track, I don’t need a kitchen sink” is a hilarious shot at his brother Zack, who has a famous cameo appearance on the twenty one pilots song “Kitchen Sink.” This is sibling rivalry at its finest, ladies and gentlemen. To be honest, I wanted to write about this EP without even mentioning the connection to Tyler Joseph (so people view the music as a standalone piece), but that line was too hilarious not to mention.

“Jumpman” is a tongue-in-cheek diatribe poking fun as his own insecurity. Jay doesn’t try to romanticize any of these thoughts about himself, he just lays it all out. This approach makes his delivery come across genuine. I’m 32 years old now, and I wish I could tell myself at 22 that 32 year olds have insecurities too. Shoot, making art and putting it out there with the platform that chose him (and not the other way around) shows more courage than I had then. A well placed drop in the song seems to drive the point home as it wraps up.

“Heart Break Kid” is a fun song about getting lost in your feels. It isn’t all that deep… or is it? Ponder that, but mostly just have fun and try not to overthink it.

“Gundabad” is the most well-rounded song on the EP. It has the right mix of witty honesty, hook-laden melody, and gnarly beats. It’s more impressive than most of the genre fusion-pop sent my way, to be honest.

I hope Jay Joseph continues to experiment in his folks’ basement. Think big and ridiculous, man. It took me too long to realize that. This is pop music from your next door neighbor. It has that sort of approachable feel to it. I’ll take this stuff all day over some of the contrived stuff I hear from the more stereotypical music cities.

Follow Jay Joseph on Instagram and Twitter.