For Jeremy Tarr, who releases music as Shlice, Cantfeel is not just a debut statement. It is a timestamp. Written during a period when momentum abruptly gave way to reflection, the project captures the uneasy space between youthful chaos and adult responsibility, between emotional numbness and clarity hard-won through discipline and self examination. Across five tracks, Shlice turns his mid twenties into a document of record, tracing how a life once defined by speed was forced to recalibrate.
Originally from Denver and now based in Los Angeles, Shlice did not arrive at music through a straight line. His early twenties were marked by extremes. Military enlistment, college football, constant travel, and nights that blurred together formed the backdrop of a life lived quickly. Music was always present, but it remained a private refuge rather than a public pursuit. That changed as he approached 26, when the weight of time became unavoidable. “I realized it was time for me to make something out of my life before it was too late,” he explains, a sentiment that quietly underpins the entire Cantfeel EP.
The turning point came last year when Shlice committed fully to music, only to learn almost immediately that he would be becoming a father. The news brought urgency and fear in equal measure. Slowing down the fast life became less of a metaphor and more of a survival strategy. Therapy, psychiatric care, medication, and deep introspection became part of his routine. Rather than framing these experiences as dramatic revelations, Shlice treats them as facts of life for many people his age. That honesty gives Cantfeel its grounding. The EP does not romanticize instability, nor does it pretend to have easy answers.
The title track, “Cantfeel,” sits at the center of the project both musically and emotionally. At times abstract and at others painfully literal, the song articulates a numbness that arrived after the noise faded. Shlice describes longing for even the difficult days, just to feel something sharp again. That tension between emotional exhaustion and the desire for intensity defines the EP’s tone. It is a coming-of-age story told without nostalgia, focused instead on the cost of growth.
From a production standpoint, “Cantfeel” reflects a level of craft that positions Shlice firmly among the most serious independent artists working today. The title track is produced by Cam Raleigh, whose résumé includes collaborations with artists such as Tory Lanez, Chief Keef, and Dave Blunts. Raleigh’s involvement signals an attention to sonic detail and industry-level standards that elevate the project beyond a typical debut. The remaining tracks, “Plain Sight,” “Mr. Threepeat,” “Vicodine,” and “Glock 19 (Disarm),” are self-produced by Shlice, showcasing the technical range he developed during his time studying music production and songwriting at Los Angeles Recording School.
All five tracks were mixed and mastered by Kiet Nguyen, a seasoned engineer whose career spans years of professional work in Vietnam and formal training in audio engineering in Los Angeles. Nguyen’s mixes give the EP cohesion without sanding down its rough edges, allowing moments of vulnerability to sit comfortably beside sharper, more confrontational passages. The result is a project that sounds intentional at every turn, never rushed, never underdeveloped.
A key figure behind the scenes is Lil Eddie, who serves as mentor, publicist, and creative sounding board. With a catalog of accolades that spans chart-topping records and global collaborations, Lil Eddie’s involvement brings both credibility and guidance. His role is less about steering the sound and more about pushing Shlice toward the most difficult step of all, releasing the music and letting it meet its audience. That encouragement is felt throughout the EP, particularly in its refusal to dilute personal truth for accessibility.
The creative process behind Cantfeel was intensive and often solitary. Some songs arrived quickly, with beats and melodies falling into place almost instinctively. Others required years of lyrical fragments and half-formed ideas to be assembled into something coherent. Shlice’s deep engagement with music history, from working through Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums to immersing himself across genres, informs the project without turning it into pastiche. The influences are absorbed, not imitated.
What makes Cantfeel resonate is its clarity of purpose. Within five songs, Shlice offers a snapshot of the experiences and emotional states that brought him to this point, while also acknowledging that this is only the beginning. The EP is not framed as a conclusion, but as a foundation. With singles scheduled for release on February 17, 2026, for “Cantfeel,” March 17, 2026 for “Plain Sight,” and the full EP arriving April 17, 2026, the rollout mirrors the measured pace he has embraced in life.
For Shlice, the project is also a message of gratitude. He is clear about the importance of the listeners who choose to spend time with this music, and about his intention to keep building from here. Cantfeel marks the moment when everything slowed down enough for clarity to emerge. It is a disciplined, emotionally honest debut that reflects both the chaos that came before and the commitment that follows.
Follow Shlice on Instagram and listen on Spotify to step into the beginning of a journey that is only just unfolding.
