JR JR Releases New Single 'The Way I Do'

Detroit indie-pop duo JR JR has released their new single "The Way I Do," a taste of things to come from their infectiously catchy upcoming EP, August and Everything Prior. The EP is due out May 1 via their own label imprint, Love Is EZ Records (a partnership with Secretly Distribution).

Listen to "The Way I Do" below!

"The COVID-19 virus was a year from even existing when we wrote the song, 'The Way I Do,'" the duo says. "We were just attempting to write a fairly straight-forward love song - something that's been scary for us to do at times. In the midst of our new day-to-day reality, it's still a celebration of devotion, but the opening lyrics seem to feel different now with the line, 'we knew it wasn't gonna be easy.' The universe is not without a sense of irony. We hope that this song brings you something useful for your world."

"The Way I Do" opening lyrics
Haven't heard a thing from you in a long time
Maybe [you're] trying to find some things to do just to stay up lately
And we knew it wasn't gonna be easy

August and Everything Prior arrives as JR JR enters a more prolific era in which they can freely distribute music in a myriad of ways through their own label. Daniel Zott says: "With the speed of our output, we can be more in-the-moment and release music quickly as culture shifts." Josh Epstein, the other half of the duo, adds: "It's been amazing for us to be so self-contained and enjoy so much career and creative freedom. Being able to thrive right now feels like a modern miracle."

Written entirely by Epstein and Zott, August and Everything Prior is a salute to their roots, a thoughtful but danceable offering that harkens back to the band's early releases. "It's also a revival in my own head of our love of acoustic songs mixed with elements of 1990s hip-hop." Zott explains. "The EP grooves, but it also points to our folk roots."

"We often write songs that hold up a mirror to society, but we still respect the purely physical and visceral aspect of making music that just feels great," Epstein says. "For us, quality and Pop can coexist. This EP is our attempt to make an exuberant expression of joy that recalls the time we first started playing together. We were interested in a celebration of sound." Zott adds, "Making this EP felt like falling in love again. It's full of hope, positivity, and a unique sense of romance."

Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott formed JR JR (known then as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr) in Detroit, Michigan in 2009. Prior to pairing up, the twosome had been searching for a creatively fluid situation where they could pool their talents as songwriters, singers, multi-instrumentalists, and producers. Since joining forces, Epstein and Zott have released four albums, five EPs, and several standalone singles. Select career highlights include a number of memorable appearances on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," Conan, and The Late Late Show with James Corden; performances at major festivals like Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza; and critical acclaim from a wide variety of outlets such as Stereogum, Rolling Stone, Paste, SPIN, and New York Magazine.

Photo Credit: Pamela Littky

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