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Jonezetta

Biography

When Jonezetta officially landed on the alternative rock radar with 2006’s Tooth & Nail debut Popularity, it was impossible to ignore its neo-new wave grooves and overall infectiousness. Fast forward to 2008’s Cruel To Be Young on the same label and the Mississippi-bred fivesome elevates its creative palate to even more astute degrees, refined by endless hours on the road alongside the likes of Anberlin, Bayside, Mute Math, Shiny Toy Guns, Meg & Dia and The Whigs (to name a few).

“Our last show in support of the debut disc was in New Zealand at a festival and it was a great highlight to wrap up that album’s cycle,” muses front man Robert Chisolm. “Being in front of so many people seemed to come full circle for us after really building up our touring experience. We supported that project on the road for two years and literally went from playing small hometown shows to at least 2,000 people on the Tooth & Nail tour. Now we’ve gone all around the world and it’s really sharpened our focus as players and songwriters.

Within a single second of pressing “play” on Cruel To Be Young, it’s apparent the performers are pulling together with incredibly tight chemistry and additionally ambitious intentions than the highly relatable first round. In fact, the guys cite a slew of modern era alternative classics as its influences (Weezer’s Pinkerton, Radiohead’s The Bends, Wilco’s Summerteeth and tons of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), coupled with a fresh coat of paint on its previous formula of connectivity.

“The last record was all about the hook and wanting people to dig a song within 30 seconds of hearing it,” recalls Chisolm. “For the new album, we recorded in Seattle at Compound Studios and we pretended it was 1997 all over again in terms of technology, which means no samples. It was a whole new approach with this record because the songs are shaped more so you have to hear the entire album to decide anything. I think America has such bad ADD these days when it comes to art and entertainment and attention spans have gone down to zero. But this disc is drawn out and meant to be put on when you’re hanging out with your friends and sitting around in hopes of really getting into the tunes rather than just listening for a few seconds and moving on.”

Such a thought provoking sonic landscape is backed by an equally intriguing topical umbrella, wrapped around similar themes of immediate gratification versus patience in the spirit of genuine artistic engagement. The musical and lyrical planes also hearken back to an era in the not too distant past when a true value was put on full albums and anticipation mounted around a street date, as opposed to being a brief blip on the radar.

“The title Cruel To Be Young can be taken a couple of ways,” suggests Chisolm. “I remember a quote from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ that says ‘youth is wasted on the young,’ and now that we’re in our twenties, we can look back on our teens and wonder what it would’ve been like if we knew what we know now. But I also feel like this a totally different time when gas prices are really high and kids come to shows texting their friends during every free second or they take pictures to put up on a social networking sight just to say there were there. I’m not saying all those things aren’t fun, but we want to bring people back to the days when you could put on a CD or go see a show and forgot everything that’s going on in the world around you and be totally swept away by the music.”

There are several examples of such inventive ecstasy on the current collection, including the initial concert anthems “Wide Awake,” “Sick In the Teeth” and “Busy Body,” along with an unpredictable title cut that starts at 150 beats per minute and slows itself down to 90 come the complex bridge. The piano-tipped “Everything Is” marks Jonezetta’s most organic and ethereal reflection to date, while “Holding On To You” offers yet another unexpected switch up between an emotive opening, jarring chorus and stream of aggressive soloing over sky high harmonies.

“The songs don’t have any type of agenda to the point where we hope anyone can listen without expectations,” Chisolm affirms. “Some people listen to music and they try to guess the next part that’s coming up or plan in their minds how they think a song should sound, though we went for the completely opposite approach. There’s even a lot of contradicting within the lyrics- the fact that some things are gonna change and others never will- and there’s a wide spectrum of going from disappointment to hope. Between what we’re playing and what we’re saying, it’s going to leave you wondering what will happen next, and then once you find out, we keep the surprises coming.”

Quick Bio

When Jonezetta officially landed on the alternative rock radar with 2006’s Tooth & Nail debut Popularity, it was impossible to ignore its neo-new wave grooves and overall infectiousness. Fast forward to 2008’s Cruel To Be Young on the same label and the Mississippi-bred fivesome elevates its creative palate to even more astute degrees, refined by endless hours on the road alongside the likes of Anberlin, Bayside, Mute Math, Shiny Toy Guns, Meg & Dia and The Whigs (to name a few).

Read the full Biography

Jonezetta
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Line-Up

Robert Chisolm - Vocals, Guitar
Kyle Howe - Guitar
Ty Garvey - Bass
Alex Warren - Drums
Tyler Kemp - Keys