At the vibrant intersection of Pop Punk and Power Pop, the musical prowess of Jagger Holly, helmed by Jay Dee, comes alive. “Rivoltella,” their latest album, is an exuberant tour de force featuring 29 irresistibly catchy songs.

Could you share the journey of bringing this record to life? How did all the pieces come together to create the final product?

We were coming off a Christmas album and a split 10” with The Windowsill. Two things we had never done. The thought of a double album is a huge undertaking, but I knew we had the songs. So, let’s see what we can do.

Was there a particular moment or experience that struck you, signaling that you were onto something special with this project?

I would say when I was like 14-16 songs in. I knew I had some really good tunes and was writing a few new songs a week. I wasn’t sure if it would become redundant if I wrote 30 songs myself for one record. Could I make them different enough? Or pick my top 14-16 songs and ask Matt if he was also interested in writing half because he had a lot of “not so DeeCrack” songs. So we went for it.

The decision to seek opinions on your new songs is intriguing. When did you realize that external perspectives could contribute to your creative process?

I don’t let anyone, but Matt and Marco hear the songs before we record. If I like it, then I think others will as well. There is zero outside influence on our music. The only time people outside of the band hear it is when it’s totally finished. I will send the masters, of course, to close friends while we wait for it to be pressed. And you will never know external things like our politics or religion because they don’t have any influence on anything…especially our music.

Success can take on different meanings as time goes on. When envisioning success for this new record, what does that picture look like now?

People digging the record and dropping €40 euros/dollars and it selling so well during the pre-sale and selling out when it officially came out was a big deal. It’s been 3 years since we released music. Do people care? Will they spend their hard-earned money? And the most important part for me is after you get the record, do you still listen to it months later? And is it something you go back to? If you do that, then that’s success to me.

Within this collection, do you feel that the best song you’ve ever written finds its home? If not, what distinguishes this record’s essence from your prior work?

You always think the new stuff is your best stuff. I assume most bands do. I like taking chances on tunes. Like the song “Summer Sun” or “Don’t Bore Us” (get to the chorus).

Those songs are different and fun. Not sure how we will pull all this new stuff off as a 3-piece. We will see!

As an artist, the act of baring your emotions to the world is profound. Does this vulnerability come naturally to you, or is it a constant journey of finding comfort?

I never really thought about it. Whatever I write is what’s happening in that moment. Mini time capsules. That’s what albums/songs are to me.

Imagine you could collaborate with three co-writers of your choice for new songs. Who would you select, and what qualities or dynamics draw you to them?

I personally don’t write a lot with others. Not that I don’t want to but more that it never comes up. I was just in the USA and was writing some stuff with the ol’ Spastic Hearts crew. That is always fun. Bob from the Riptides is someone that I will be bouncing ideas off of in the future as well. Suzi Moon/Drew I would love to write a tune with.

Among the gigs you’ve performed, which one holds an indelible place in your memory and why does it stand out?

We played the worst show of my life at a fest in Italy called “Lost Dog Records Fest”. The fest was great. We sadly showed up at 4 pm and didn’t play till 1 am. So, maybe 20 drinks later, it was the shit show of all shit shows.

Some of the best were PRR 2017 was great. Puke Fest 2018. Had some classic shows in Norway with The Prom Dates. Tours in Brazil with Flanders 72 and Nerdy Jug Heads in Japan were great shows. The best Rock club in the world is in Fort Wayne, Indiana called the Brass Rail. We have had some amazing shows there.

Defining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you determine when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

When we run out of money, the song is finished haha. You can pick a song to death so when we think we can’t possibly do anything more to make it better- then it’s finished.

Striking a balance between experimental artistry and commercial appeal is a challenge. How do you navigate this dynamic within your music?

We write how we write. I have the feeling of “if you don’t like it then don’t listen to it” change the station. A lot of music out there. I don’t give any thought of writing a certain way. What comes out is what comes out. If you dig it…cool. If not…also cool.

Lyrics often carry profound meaning. Are there particular lines you hope listeners will always remember from your songs? If so, what’s the significance?

Hmmm…I can’t think off the top of my head but The song “Let’s go to the Beach” off of our debut record DJ Free Europe. There is a line that says… “I told my boss I’m never coming back again…the only thing I gotta work on is my tan”.

That’s the way to live.

Can you recall the last instance when you felt the immediate certainty of having penned a hit song?

The Christmas album hit the hardest for me personally. I thought there were some “hits” on that one. I still flip burgers tho so maybe people’s idea of what is a hit is different than mine.

With the record completed and the music released, do you believe the pinnacle of enjoyment has been reached, or is this just the beginning of an exciting phase?

It’s always bittersweet to let the record go. At that point we may have heard it from the first note to the last master check…thousands of times?? Then it’s not yours anymore and everyone is gonna judge what you worked on for the past 2 years. You hope for the best but if I like it then usually everyone that’s into us will dig it.

Looking ahead to the next couple of months, what exciting plans or projects are on the horizon for you?

We have a lot of studio projects ahead. Hopefully some shows. We are always writing, so we are excited to see what direction we go next.

Can you take us through the creative journey of bringing this album to life? What were the key milestones, challenges, and breakthroughs you experienced along the way?

On this one, Covid was the big one as I said before but not a lot of people know that we were never all in the same room making this record. Actually we have never played one single song together. We did demos and rewrites and sent the tracks to our drummer Marco in Italy. He did the drums there near Venice. Then they were shipped to Austria where Matt and I worked on the rest. It was a new experience but we were handcuffed by all restrictions. In the end, nothing was going to stop this record from being made.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound in this new album compared to your previous works? Were there intentional shifts in style or themes?

Nothing intentional but always taking chances on new ways to write. Key changes/tempo changes/new instruments. Trying to keep it sounding fresh but still sounding like Jagger Holly.

With this fresh collection of songs, how do you envision connecting with both your existing fanbase and new listeners? Are there specific emotions or messages you hope they’ll resonate with?

If they like the old stuff then they will like this stuff. At the core, it’s what we sound like just on steroids a bit.

Albums often involve collaboration with various musicians and producers. Could you shed light on how these collaborations contributed to shaping the album’s identity?

We keep it a small group outside of the band. Mike DeeCrack did a lot of amazing backing vocals. Vale from The Nuts sings a duet with me. Studio Marco lent a solo on “Kiss Me I’m Sick”. And our buddy Jonas helped a ton on the first and last song on the record. Everything else though was us 3.

In the digital age, visual elements are intertwined with music. How did you approach the album’s visual aesthetics, such as album art and accompanying visuals? How do they complement the sonic experience you’ve crafted?

I had the idea to rip off the Beatles “Revolver” cover. Make a version with stuff we like. Came out great and grabbed people’s attention. That’s the hardest part with the millions of bands out there. After that, the music has to win them over.