Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself, and your band (if applicable).
Jared: Well according to the description on most of my officially sanctioned websites, I am "a singer/songwriter heavily inspired by the revolutionary music of the 60s. Much of his influence is evident in his sound which hearkens back to the more simple, bygone days of analog tapes and authentic instrumentation." I think that pretty much narrows it down, really.

LB: How did you start out making music?
Jared: While I guess you could say I am considered young, I don't consider myself new to the game. I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't making music or wasn't doing something that involved music in some way. My parents, my brother, and all their friends knew that I would be doing music when I grew up. That's probably why they all "nurtured the beast" and got me whatever instruments and equipment was necessary. I am very lucky in that respect. I never felt artistically stifled by my family or friends. 

LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now?
Jared: I am fortunate enough to come from a family of very diverse taste. My mother's father loved country so I listened to just about every Johnny Cash song ever made. My father's father liked stuff like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin so I got to hear stuff like that quite a bit. Then there was what my parents listened to which was 60s/70s music. I think that had the biggest effect on me as a writer. People like Don Mclean, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, John Denver, The Raspberries and of course, The Beatles. However, there's one group that I discovered on my own as a child that I have never burned out on; The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson is the closest thing to an idol that I have. Something about their music speaks volumes to me. It puts me miles ahead of where anyone else's stuff might take me. But anyway, my overall sound is a rather assorted amalgam of all of this and more, I think.

LB: Tell us about your latest release.
Jared: ‘Looking For Diamonds’ is my first EP and I could not be happier about it. Musically, it's a throw back to the 1960s. A bit like The Byrds, The Turtles, The Beatles, The Beach Boys but recorded in a basement on cheaper equipment. Lyrically, it's a mini-patchwork covering the bases of having love, losing love, looking for love, and abandoning love. It didn't start out that way but that's just how it all ended up in the end.

LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows?
Jared: Certainly. I could do a small show with just me with an acoustic guitar or I could put a band together and explore the arrangements more. I throw in a couple of covers sometimes, too.

LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy?
Jared: I most enjoy getting the feedback from the audience. Even if they don't like it, I just love to hear what they think. Particularly when it's a song that I've written, I like to know what their impression of it is. Of course you always hope that they do like it but I think both negative and positive feedback are important to the creative mind.

LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music?
Jared:

www.cdbaby.com/cd/jaredlekites
www.myspace.com/lekites