jakehinze Steps Into a New Era With “Change of Pace”

jakehinze has never sounded interested in staying in one lane.

That instinct has always been part of what makes the Phoenix band so exciting to follow, but “Change of Pace” feels like a particularly clear statement of where they are headed next. Built around a gripping synth, a restless drum shuffle, and a chorus designed to open everything up, the single introduces a new era without abandoning the chemistry that has always made the band feel like themselves.

It is polished, playful, and deeply aware of its influences. There are flashes of Tears for Fears, Toto, Billy Idol, Steely Dan, and the sleek modern production of Magdalena Bay, but the song never feels like an exercise in nostalgia. Instead, Jake Hinze filters those references through their own instincts and turns them into something that feels distinctly current.

A Little Less Rocky, a Little More Yachty

The track began with the drum groove and synth piano, giving the band an immediate foundation to build around.

“We intentionally kept the verses darker so the choruses could lift and pop,” Jake explains. That contrast is one of the song’s strongest details. The verses carry a slightly shadowed tension before the chorus breaks through with more color and movement.

Some of the best moments came from instinct rather than careful planning. The downward key change and inverted melody were happy accidents, while Tyler’s outro solo was captured in a single take.

“It’s the cherry on top in my opinion,” Jake says, describing it as a major Steve Lukather moment.

That looseness feels important to the song. “Change of Pace” is clearly considered and carefully produced, but it never feels overworked. The band sounds like they are having fun pushing themselves into a different space.

Finding Freedom in the Mundane

The title may introduce a larger musical shift, but the idea behind it came from something much more ordinary.

At the time, Jake was caught in the routine of everyday life, playing shows, working on the record, and mostly laying low. The phrase began to resonate because it captured a simple desire to shake things up and move forward.

“There is some freedom in admitting to yourself, ‘I could use a change of pace,’” he says.

That simplicity is part of what makes the song connect. It is not about reinventing your entire life overnight. Sometimes a change can be as small as trying something new, listening to a different band, or giving yourself permission to step outside the version of life you have grown used to.

The song carries that feeling sonically too. It is familiar enough to feel immediate, but different enough to signal movement.

A Band Built on Friendship and Experimentation

The natural chemistry between Jake, Tyler, and Alec has always been one of the band’s biggest strengths.

“It’s really cool having best friends that are also your bandmates,” Jake says.

Their songs can begin anywhere: a hook, a chorus, a guitar riff, or a drum groove. Jake often sends early ideas to the band with a warning not to become too attached, knowing the final version may end up somewhere completely different.

He compares the process to “chipping away marble until we have the sculpture.” A new guitar part can redirect an entire section, creating a domino effect that changes the shape of the song. Even tracks that once felt finished were reopened during the making of the album in pursuit of a stronger final picture.

That willingness to keep searching helps explain why “Change of Pace” feels so considered without losing its spontaneity.

The band also kept their live show in mind while recording. Jake hints that some of the transitions and ideas discovered in the studio may eventually find their way into their sets, particularly in the spaces between songs.

The First Piece of a Bigger Picture

“Change of Pace” follows “whatafeeling,” Jake’s electronic collaboration with informal., a release that showed another side of his instincts entirely.

The two songs may occupy different corners of his sound, but both reflect the same refusal to become boxed in.

“I never really intended to stay in one lane,” Jake says. “I just wanna make whatever music we like.”

The upcoming album will continue exploring new territory while maintaining what he calls a consistent “sonic aesthetic.” Every track has its own personality, but together, they are meant to reveal a much larger story.

For now, Jake offers the perfect summary of what listeners can expect:

“A little less rocky and a little more yachty.”

“Change of Pace” is the first look at a band stretching into something new while sounding more like themselves than ever.

Stream Change of Pace by jakehinze out now.

The full album arrives October 1.

Photography: JT Litwiller