Tanner Dubyak, freshman studio production major at California Baptist University has been creating and producing music since early high school and continues to produce and release content under the name Jackintheyellow, even touring with a variety of bands such as King’s Kaledioscope.
Dubyak has been playing music his whole life, beginning with guitar and later teaching himself piano. Coming from a family who influenced him toward indie and acoustic music, Dubyak was raised on these styles of music and fell in love with them.
“I started out making a very simple, indie style kind of music that has a lot of warmth and is relatable,” Dubyak said. “I love indie music for being so relatable. Then I got really hooked on Jon Bellion.”
Bellion is a contemporary singer/songwriter who mixes R&B, hip-hop and indie rock influences.
“Seeing how he made music and his creative process inspired me to buy my first keyboard and start producing in a similar way,” Dubyak said.
Dubyak said he is in a place where he is finding his “safehold” between indie music and Jon Bellion’s influence and working to create his specific sound out of that.
“Nothing teaches more than constant output. I have a schedule where I create two times a day for two hours. This is really helping me find my place of combining my influences and how I want to sound,” Dubyak said.
Dubyak was also inspired to make his own music by Jake Aldako, senior graphic design major and good friend of Dubyak’s brother. Dubyak was inspired by how Aldako made his own music and, with advice and tips from him, Dubyak started producing his own music.
“Tanner is a very talented person. When it comes to producing music, having the skills and abilities to play multiple instruments and sing on top is really impressive. What helps take that further is the time and effort that he can put in by constantly working hard—lots of potential for sure,” Aldako said.
Dubyak released a full album, “The Story of Jack” on Jan. 8, exploring and expanding on the meaning behind his name, Jackintheyellow.
“Throughout my music career and creative process, I have referred to this alter ego of myself as a kid named Jack. He symbolizes the reckless, sinful, unrighteous, rebel side of me and things I struggle with,” Dubyak said. “I have also referred to yellow as the state of perfection and pure happiness, kind of holiness. In its roots, it is my sinful self (Jack) in this perfect state (the yellow) with God. Finding myself in God and being able to make music and share throughout it makes it mean so much more to me.”
Geoff Gouveia, a professional muralist and marketer who has worked with companies such as Adidas and Red Bull and with whom Dubyak interned, became a sort of mentor for him, especially in giving advice on how to market himself as an artist.
“To succeed in the creative world you need tenacity and talent,” Gouveia said. “It’s no secret Tanner possesses the latter, but it’s his willingness to keep going when things are tough, unclear or frustrating. It’s this quality that assures me he’s going to go very, very far with his talent.”
On top of constantly creating content, Dubyak is working on trying to make connections in the music industry. One outcome of these connections is that Dubyak went on tour with OLY, alternative R&B band, and King’s Kaleidoscope, a Seattle-based Christian band.
“I was able to go out to Seattle this past winter and talk to some members of King’s Kaleidoscope, as well as hang out with the band that opens for them on tour (OLY). It was a really cool experience. They asked me to play keys for them on their next tour,” Dubyak said.
Dubyak will be going on tour with OLY and King’s Kaleidoscope later this year. He is also working on having a constant output of music and releasing an EP every other week to open as many doors and reach as many people as possible.
Dubyak is planning to release the first single on an upcoming EP in March and the rest of the EP shortly after. His music can be streamed under the artist’s name, Jackintheyellow on all platforms.
