JERRY PAPER SHARES NEW EP BOiNK!
Jerry Paper, the creative persona of Lucas Nathan, spent their twenties releasing albums and soundtracks, touring, and collaborating with artists including Tyler, The Creator, Weyes Blood and BADBADNOTGOOD. Their playful jams have often been accompanied by weird, freeform dancing, a flowy dress and a wide gritted-teeth smile! But as they settled into a new decade, they knew they wanted something more from life. In 2024, they began training to become a therapist, and then their child was born in early 2025.
As this transformative period unfolded, Paper became charmed by songs “so simple yet so freakin’ good”, often made up of just three and four chords. Instead of taking their usual approach of “smashing around on a keyboard and following my ear”, they decided to go deep into the guts of these songs – the foundation for their new EP BOiNK!.
Paper initially recorded a cover of “Souvenir” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. They wanted to unearth “what changes and what stays the same” in an uncomplicated, repetitive track that keeps the listener hooked. Peanut Butter Wolf ended up adding his vocals to the song, and encouraged them to work on more covers. Paper then went on to record Brian Eno’s “I’ll Come Running” – a song continually stuck in their head during the early days of their child’s life. “I feel like a new depth of caring and giving was activated in me,” they say. “The simple line ‘I’ll come running to tie your shoe’ felt like it held all of that meaning”.
Three original songs join the covers.“Contact” sees Paper yearn for human contact and contact beyond the stars in a world “socially-gridlocked by technology”; on “Somewhere New” they try to get somewhere specific and end up somewhere completely unexpected; and “Games of Chance” asks us to not be afraid to roll the dice and take a chance when making music. “The less you hold on to an idea of where you’re going, the greater the chance of surprising yourself,” says Paper. “When I sit down to write, I’m rolling the dice because I have no idea what will come out!”
Made alone and centered around vocals, drum machines and synthesizers (especially the Korg MS-20–the EP’s name comes from thestrange sounds and textures discovered when using this synth), BOiNK! departs from a guitar-led palette, and sees Paper get playful with less – fewer instruments and chords, but more space to experiment.
In this new era, Paper’s got less free time but way more space in their mind. With each day, they learn from their surroundings – their therapy practice, raising their child and from the music that’s always been there! “New experiences breed new curiosity, and music has always been a space for me to explore and expand my curiosity”. The Jerry Paper persona is here to stay, but it’s evolving, just like Lucas Nathan’s life.