Jake Minch: Your 2026 Acoustic Obsession

I first discovered Jake Minch on TikTok in 2023, playing a snippet of his upcoming debut single ‘Handgun’, due to be released in May of that year: a video that would eventually reach over 1.3 million views. As cliché as it sounds, I was hooked.

I added it to my playlist, followed his TikTok and Instagram, and kept Jake Minch in the corner of my eye

The song was simple yet beautiful, and told an unbelievably heartfelt tale about growing up. It didn’t try to be overly flashy, and it didn’t need to be; instead, it rested on the solid foundation of a moving chord progression, well-written lyrics, and Minch’s unique voice. He was only 20 years old and already such a talented songwriter. I added it to my playlist, followed his TikTok and Instagram, and kept Jake Minch in the corner of my eye.

I missed his next few releases, but did catch ‘Jessie’ in May 2024, a touching song about young people’s mental health. It was a clear step up in production value, with a more fleshed-out sound than ‘Handgun’, but retaining the honest, deeply personal lyrical style that had got me hooked on Jake Minch in the first place.

Both ‘Handgun’ and ‘Jessie’ remain on repeat to this day, but in Spring 2025, prompted by him once again teasing an upcoming single (‘Fingers and Clothes’) on his socials, I decided to check out the rest of his music – a simple discography of only six songs. I spent spring eagerly awaiting the release of his debut album, George, set to be released in August, passing the time by raving about him to anyone who I thought would enjoy his music.

The production had taken another step up, making George the most polished and professional Jake Minch release yet

In August – perfectly coinciding with my holiday in France – George dropped. Named after Minch’s birth name, the album centred on the themes that, by this point, Minch was known for: the tracklist told poignant tales of love, loss, identity, and growing up. As I listened, the lyrics tugged at my heartstrings again and again.

Much like all of Minch’s music, the lyrics are very personal to him, telling autobiographical tales and referencing inside jokes, and yet they have a universal relatability – an impressive lyrical feat. The production had taken another step up, making George the most polished and professional Jake Minch release yet. This improvement in production also allowed for a more stylistically diverse sound, loyal to his stripped-back acoustic roots, but simultaneously starting to grow and mature away from them.

2025 was Minch’s biggest year yet, and, on August 3, he performed his first ever headline show. His second show the very next day sold out, as well as boasting famous guests like Lizzy McAlpine and Grace Enger. Clearly, Jake Minch’s career was heading in the direction I had hoped it would when I first discovered him, finally getting the recognition I had always thought he deserved.

A world away from the ‘song of the summer’ TikTok musicians, Minch is a humble, honest individual with a great swathe of talent

Autumn arrived, and just as I thought Jake Minch had returned to dormancy and the occasional song snippet, he announced a bonus track to the George album, titled ‘Leave’. Both happy and heart-wrenching, the song dealt with the question of where you put all the love you have for someone after you’ve lost them. It was the perfect song to welcome winter as summer drifted out of my grasp.

Jake Minch has gone from strength to strength and thus the artist I think you should have your eye on this year. A world away from the ‘song of the summer’ TikTok musicians, Minch is a humble, honest individual with a great swathe of talent. His lyrics are unbelievably human, and poetic without feeling pretentious. If you’re a fan of the genre I have dubbed ‘gut-wrenching acoustic songs’, similar to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Adrienne Lenker, and Alex G, then I cannot recommend Jake Minch enough. His trajectory so far seems to suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him.