Eclectic and whimsical, multi-instrumentalist Jakob Berger (& his hat) combines elements of indie-folk, dark cabaret, and gypsy punk in order to transport the listener to distant memories or dreams.  His passion comes from a desire to communicate that all are capable to do whatever they set out to achieve, and this is manifested in his songs: a concoction of stirring storytelling and sounds crafted by him.  Literally: many of his instruments are homemade creations.

He thinks of songs as stories, and often finds lyrical inspiration from literature (from Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree to Shakespeare’s Hamlet).  He sees instruments as the characters to his narrative, often with the swell of the accordion as the protagonist, while cellos, ukuleles, and African hand drums fill out the supporting cast.

His sophomore album, Fallen Sparrows, takes its name from Hamlet and augury (the ancient Roman practice of observing the flight paths of birds to divine or predict the future):

“We defy augury.  There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow (V.ii).”

The theme of Fallen Sparrows is this: we are all tasked with creating our own future, and though our actions will have consequences, we must persevere.