#ASCAPProud: Jake Shears

Jake Shears is a performing songwriter, best know as the lead singer of the band Scissor Sisters. He starred in the Broadway production of Kinky Boots and continues to write and perform as a solo artist.

Q. Where or when do you feel most authentically yourself?
A. I feel most authentically myself when I'm onstage. I'm challenged, but usually unafraid. Vulnerable but exhibiting all my superpowers. And having a space to improvise in any given moment.

Q. How does creating music fit into your identity?
A. My identity is not fixed, and that comes out in my music. I'm a lot of different people at once, some selves might just be in my imagination. I try to give them their own songs. The fun comes in discovering new bits about yourself, and also realizing we're all a big mystery.

Q.What would be the elements of your fantasy pride parade?
A. One without having to see corporate sponsors virtually everywhere.

Q. What is your wish for the next generation of queer creators?
A. I wish the same thing for queer creators as I do all musicians, for music to carry value, and the ability for an artist to make a living wage off of their work.

Q. What’s been your proudest moment so far?
A. Just being 40, having been writing songs for 20 plus years, and still being able to do what I love doing. That's what I'm most proud of.

Website: https://www.jakeshears.com/
Instagram: @jakeshears