Jesse Palter & Sam Barsh Premiere Their “Typical Day” Music Video

We all live different lives, but a typical day for Jesse Palter, Sam Barsh, or anyone is probably fairly similar. Today the collaborative forces of Palter and Barsh join together to present the music video for “Typical Day.” The clip is presented in a home video kind of way, a conglomeration of different days and events.

Everyone has their own life, and a lot of life is quite uneventful or tedious. Even for people like Palter and Barsh, individuals who write and record music for a living and who generate accolades and recognition for that work. Even producing Platinum records involves down days that are all part of anyone’s life.

Providing some context on the song and its inspirations, Palter tells us:

“People have always asked us what a typical day looks like when they find out we’re full-time artists. Most assume it’s all glamour—playing gigs in fancy cities, at fancy places, in fancy outfits. And that’s one small part of it. In reality, it’s a relentless grind filled with the dedication to our craft and the constant hustle. Yet, we do still find time for play. ‘Typical Day’ was inspired by this lifestyle. We wanted to capture the essence of what our days truly involve, and showcase the unique experiences that come with living as artists; the hustle-hard/play-hard mentality that defines the relentless pursuit of one’s dreams.

“I always hope viewers can find a piece of themselves in our music. We want viewers to feel connected to the journey, to see the beauty in the process, and to be motivated to pursue their own aspirations with the same enthusiasm that ‘Typical Day’ embodies.”

Palter, a native of Detroit, is a highly regarded artist in the world of jazz music. She won “Outstanding Jazz Vocalist” at three straight Detroit Music Awards. She has also had her music featured in commercials and television shows as mainstream as The Real World, Beverly Hills 90210, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When the pandemic came along, she began teaching group music classes to children and their caregivers. This led to the development of the proprietary ‘Tunez 4 Totz’ curriculum which is being used as the basis of her soon-to-be-released family-friendly album.

Barsh is a producer, songwriter, and keyboardist. He has been involved in the recording of 18 Gold and Platinum records, two #1 singles, four #1 albums, four GRAMMY wins, and twelve nominations. He began his career as a jazz pianist in New York City, working closely with composer Avishai Cohen. After relocating to Los Angeles, he got more involved in songwriting and production. Barsh co-wrote Aloe Blacc’s “The Man,” a #1 single. He also helped record Anderson .Paak’s Malibu and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, two absolutely massive albums. Other credits include Gwen Stefani, J. Cole, Kanye West, and The Weeknd.

Discussing her initial interactions with Barsh and what made them special, Palter tells us:

“A collaborator and good friend of mine heard Sam (whom I almost exclusively call ‘Barsh’) at a jam session. He called me and said he’d stumbled upon one of the funkiest pianists ever and that I should reach out to collaborate with him. So I did. We set up a jam session for when I was in New York playing a gig with my jazz group. Given that we both have strong roots in the jazz performance space, we started by playing a couple of standards. After the second song, I turned to him and said, ‘Do you just want to write pop music together?’ Just like that, we did.

“I felt an instant kinship with Barsh, a chemistry that felt like musical family—like a big brother. We would write and collaborate from our respective homes, but when we found ourselves doing a stint in Macau, China, we decided to make our band a priority. Over the years, there have been many iterations in our careers, both as partners and individually. I’ve seen Barsh win a GRAMMY, get big placements, and have sessions with his dream artists. He watched me achieve my dream of getting signed to a label and was there when I became an independent artist again. We’ve had high highs and low lows together. Even though we aren’t in the same city and don’t collaborate as much as we once did, we always pick up right where we left off.”

Jesse Palter & Sam Barsh “Typical Day” single artwork

Elaborating on the smaller details of writing “Typical Day,” Palter says:

“I had the initial idea to write a song about our day-to-day life, and Barsh came to me with that clav groove and a general idea for the first verse. We toplined the song together, then produced, reproduced, forgot about, and eventually resurrected this song after being reinvigorated when we played it on a gig in LA. Coincidentally, it was atypical to our creative process, which is usually pretty quick and often begins with the two of us jamming and vibing until we find the groove of inspiration and ride that wave until a song falls out.

“I often handle the top lining while Barsh focuses on production and keyboard parts. Though sometimes I bring him a harmonic idea, and he adds his Barsh flair. We don’t have one set creative process; we just vibe until we’re both feeling it. We both can write everything individually —melody, harmony, lyrics, arrangement— but we have certain strengths and ultimately respect each other in our spaces. We become a whole separate entity when we’re writing together, it’s pretty special.”

Even with success, it’s important to enjoy the more “typical days” and we have two very successful individuals to remind us as much.