Jamie Jacobsen, the 24 year-old native from Chicago’s south side is as gritty and stubborn as her geographic roots would suggest. Nabbing the moniker Tedious & Brief from a largely-obscure reference out of the popular true crime podcast Serial, Jamie’s thoughtful blend of commercial-ready, groove-oriented, indie-alt pop reflects an existential mind who’s not used to thinking inside boxes. But her tendency to keep a tongue-in-cheek songwriting approach keeps her every bit relatable.

“I’m a sucker for nostalgia. It’s my favorite feeling,” says Jamie. “So I’m always processing ways to incorporate parts of the past: growing up, finding identity and purpose—sometimes poking fun at the absurdity of the moments—into my writing. The process of writing matters more to me than the end product sometimes.”

On her latest single, ‘Tired Work,’ Jamie revisits a frustrating—let’s call it straight-up degrading—yet, educational, season of her formative years as an employee under the collective arm of a series of toxic supervisors.

“Recently I had a really bad boss that abused his position of authority and threatened me when I tried to quit. That was followed up by another boss who made it a habit of bullying the people under their authority in the office. Such horrible work environments—and I know I’m not even remotely alone in those experiences,” Jamie says. “My hope is that this song is an anthem for anyone who’s been treated in this way and for them to know that these people won’t get away with it.”