He bikes, he creates, he's a photographer, and he just launched his own brand––enter the wild world of Jared Harber. We interviewed the Raleigh, NC local about how his new brand Southern Wonders came to be, his biggest inspirations, his fav food spots in Raleigh, and more. Get to know the man behind the magic by reading the full interview after the jump!
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
Hello - My name is Jared Edward Harber. I typically just go by Jared, but for whatever reason most people who meet me feel the need to give me a nickname like “J-rod,” “J-rad,” or “Jare Bear.” So, call me whatever you want! I am, in general, a jack of all trades. I say that because when I was recently interviewed for LOOP Magazine I mentioned the many things that I do for a living, and they just put “Jack of all trades.” In reality, I am a former bike shop owner of nearly a decade and a fill-in bike mechanic for a handful of bike shops across the country (Angry Catfish in Minneapolis, Golden Saddle Cyclery in Los Angeles, Halcyon in Nashville, and District Bicycles in Stillwater, OK). At home here in North Carolina, I work part-time for Back Alley Bikes in Carrboro. When I am not doing stuff with bicycles, I am a photographer and would-be designer and creative director.
Southern Wonders came out of a desire to do something fun that celebrates cycling in the South. I have been striving toward that idea with various projects over the years, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2019 that I was listening to 80s Fleetwood Mac while on a long bike ride that it hit me. The song Seven Wonders was playing in my earbuds, and it inspired me to come up with Southern Wonders mostly because I liked the alliteration, but it was just enough of a moment to get me movin’. I had hundreds of ideas already stored in my head, I just needed something to bring them together. The name was it and so here we are.
How would you describe the vibe of the brand?
Fun. Weird. Kooky, I guess. I want it to be part punk and part hippie. I honestly don’t know what that means or if I am successfully doing that, but that’s where I am at. It’s kind of two sides of my personality.
What's a personal fav from this first round of merch?
The compass design! When I was working with Claire Shadomy, I pitched the idea of a compass in which the southern arrow went a little longer and maybe made a little loop at the end. It just felt right and the outcome was right. Now we have bottles with that idea that you made, Holden! I love those bottles. They remind me of those Family Circus comics where Billy wanders around town and you can follow his trail via a curly dashed line.
Who/what are some of your biggest inspirations?
Who? Keith Haring for sure! Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Susan Kare, Kara Walker, Vivian Maier, Ansel Adams, Mark Rothko, Solange, Frank Ocean, Fugazi, Tina Turner, George Clinton, John, and Alice Coltrane. There are so many! My mother. She passed away last year and was a painter. Not many people knew that about her. What? Music above everything. I know Southern Wonders is a cycling-related brand, so riding bikes, but if we just meet on a bike ride and you would rather talk about music than bikes, I am so down! Also, art and design, the creative process and creative people, close community, and, honestly, nature inspire me. I am inspired by big, wondrous nature. Some of my most fond and relaxing memories is just sitting and staring out a window of a moving car, looking at the natural world as I pass through it.
How is your personality reflected in your work?
That's deep! Gosh, I guess in all ways. I don't know! All I know how to be is myself, and I can’t imagine a world in which I did work that wasn’t 100% me. That's a shitty answer!
Music you've been listening to lately?
I’ve been listening to hip-hop and R&B a lot lately. Also, modern pop music has been my jam for a couple of years now. It is weird to admit that still. Growing up I listened to a lot of hardcore and metal, but pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop seem to be pushing their craft forward in big ways! To be honest, rock, indie, and/or alternative for me has been a little lackluster in recent years. I think we are living in a transitional time where those genres that we always looked to for innovation are drying up creatively, and that the wrongs from the late 90s and early 2000s are being undone in popular music. I make a lot of playlists these days and share them with the world via Instagram if you want to know who specifically I am listening to. There's a lot of jazz, funk, afro-beat, soul, and experimental music in those playlists.
Favorite food spot in Raleigh?
Raleigh is one of those places that is very lucky to have so many amazing restaurants in such a small area. For me, my go-to's are the Player’s Retreat, Mitch’s, Fiction Kitchen, and Centro.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Holden, you are the best. Did you know? Also, we are living in really weird times. Many creative people are losing work. The service industry is on the brink of collapse in some places. Nothing seems to make sense anymore. Help those who need some bailing out if you can. If there is a relief fund for service industry folks, donate to it. Hire some of your creative friends to do some work for you. Keep supporting essential businesses like bike shops the best you can! Wash your hands! Fuck germs! Stay inside and discover the wonderful world that we introverts have known about for years.
Follow Jared Harber and Southern Wonders on Instagram (@jaredharber / @southern_wonders) | Cover photo by Katie Stewart