Rich Jacques is a Grammy-winning producer and songwriter. We've written about him before—his music is meditative, engaging, and cinematic with a focus on intimate vocals set against a lush soundscape. Latest track "Montecito" further displays his stylistic range with a sonic palette that fits perfectly in the soft-spoken folk pop space inhabited by artists like Peter Bradley Adams and Joshua Radin. However, Rich Jacques does not adhere to a signature aesthetic—his musical accomplishments continue to vary from folk to chamber pop, electronica and beyond as he pulls from an eclectic tapestry that is uniquely his own.
"Montecito" was written as a love letter to a place in time, as Jacques pays creative tribute to both the coastal getaway and Santa Barbara neighbor city as well as the personal community that he relishes there. The music video for this gratifying ballad captures the magic of personal stillness that so often accompanies the presence of natural beauty: as the flowers and the trees and salty air speak in unison as a counterforce against the pressures of modern life.
Rich has been sculpting his craft as a songwriter and producer for some time, and it shows. By using only a few core components—guitar, voice and only a few additional musical details—he creates emotive and spacious compositions that are as sentimental as they are inviting.
Whichever aspect of Rich Jacques' work you are familiar with, this latest creation is like little you have heard him do before. If you are unaware of his long and varied career then this is the perfect place to start exploring his work.
Take a drive
Classic scene of days gone by fireside
Cold nights with you feel so warm
Saved my life
Just when i thought I
Lost my heart when I left my place
The coffeeshops all look the same
So i told my friends that I’m on my way
Said I’d go to Montecito
The purple flowers and sunburnt beach
Seem so far but its still in reach
So I told my friends that’s where I’ll be
Think I’m home in Montecito
At the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020, I had an unrelated health scare and decided to move out of Los Angeles. My dear friends Renee and Paul invited me to come and live with them and their family while I created a lot of of new habits and got back to health. It was a life changing experience. Their generosity, support, and friendship was truly humbling. Montecito really is one of the most beautiful places in the world—and now it has a whole new meaning to me. I wrote this song with the amazing Scott Effman about the experience.
This is my love letter to Renee, Paul, Meelie, RAB and Montecito🙏 -Rich Jacques
Lyrics by Rich Jacques and Scott Effman.
In 2017 Rich won a Grammy for his collaboration with Lisa Loeb on her album Feel What U Feel.
Visit Rich Jacques on Instagram.