South Jersey Artist Feature - Dave Jamil
By: Tania Qurashi
For AAPI Heritage Month, SJCA is highlighting Dave Jamil, a singer, and songwriter known as Vacation School. Over the years, Jamil has been writing and performing with bands throughout the region. While maintaining his professional career, he continues to write, perform, and release songs, and has released an EP in 2021 titled, IV.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Tell us about your music.
Jamil: Music has always been a canvas for me to work through my life experiences and emotions. Whether it be joy, pain, love, or heartache, I’ve found catharsis through turning these feelings into something that is, at least to my ears, beautiful.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Can you tell us about IV and about your process?
Jamil: IV came as a result of a creative challenge I participated in during April of 2021, where I wrote a song per week throughout the month. This four-song album coincided with the conclusion of my first year of graduate school, a pandemic that was raging on, and a life-changing period of personal and professional growth. IV was a product of these experiences and helped remind me of my identity as a musician.
Album artwork by M. Moench. Image courtesy of the artist.
How has South Jersey impacted your song-writing practice?
Jamil: South Jersey is so unique because it seems to exist in its own bubble between Philadelphia and North Jersey/New York. This independence cultivated a sense of freedom from any creative norms or expectations while remaining within close range of opportunities to showcase my work and connect with a diverse and supportive audience.
You can listen to Vacation School here!
