Jalen N'Gonda Releases New Single I GUESS THAT MAKES ME A LOSER

Jalen N'Gonda has released the new single "I Guess That Makes Me a Loser", which is available today. A series of dates for the spring and summer have also been confirmed, including Bonnaroo in Tennessee, with more headline shows and festival appearances to be confirmed soon. "I Guess That Makes Me A Loser" is taken from Jalen N'Gonda's new EP, which will follow early summer.

Listen here!

In striking contrast with its seemingly self-deprecating title, "I Guess That Makes Me A Loser" confirms Jalen N'Gonda as very much the real deal, blending classic and contemporary soul influences to create a sound of his own. Clearly a keen student of the genre's revered pioneers, Jalen possesses a rich, nuanced voice that nonetheless feels as refreshing and contemporary as anyone gracing today's scene. "Musically," he says, "I Guess That Makes Me A Loser" was inspired by the Dap-Tone sound and the song "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" by the Marvelettes. The lyrics were inspired by the mini-series Leaving. The series was about an affair between a middle-aged woman and a young man around 30 years her junior. It was a scandal, and it ended so badly. So I started writing after watching that."

Jalen N'Gonda's forthcoming new EP is the culmination of an extraordinary musical journey that's taken him from the U.S. to the U.K. and eventually back stateside for a gala 2017 tour. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Jalen's parents hail from the Washington, D.C. area; his father is a humanitarian worker, his mother a day care worker, with the family backdrop described by N'Gonda as "generally working class, but with a very close community." Jalen proceeded to dig deep into his father's collection of soul, jazz and hip-hop, paying special attention to legendary Motown artists, while taking in the works of some of the era's great rock architects as well. "David Ruffin, Mary Wells, Brian Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Phil Spector, the Doors, and the list goes on," he says. Yet he's also just as quick to cite a line-up of contemporary artists that have more recently caught his discerning ear: "People like Alex Turner, Angel Olsen, Lianne La Havas, Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes."

The big move came when Jalen decided to relocate to Great Britain in 2014 to study music at the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. Indeed, the jaunt across the pond wasn't without its adjustments. "When I first moved into the U.K., it was a culture shock, the way the cars looked and all the different British accents and mannerisms. The way I adapted in the country was by simply living in it," he says. "I've been in Liverpool for nearly four years, and I've grown very accustomed to how things go around here. The culture is one of a kind with its humour, diversity, food, and the everyday people. The music scene in Liverpool is one of the leading scenes in the country."

Word of Jalen N'Gonda's slow-burning soul song-craft has since spread much further, however. It's been reported that Martha Reeves, the legendary leader of Martha & the Vandellas, became a fan, whilst N'Gonda has also been invited to open for the likes of Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill. Is, perhaps, the soul genre ready for a rebirth? "Real soul music," replies Jalen N'Gonda, "never died", and with one listen of "I Guess That Makes Me A Loser" you may be inclined to agree.

TOUR DATES

3/10/2018 Craig Charles Funk 'n' Soul Club Leeds, UK
4/16/2018 jazzablanca Casablanca, Morocco
4/17/2018 jazzablanca Casablanca, Morocco
5/4/2018 Cheltenham Jazz Festival Cheltenham, UK
5/5/2018 Live at Leeds Leeds, UK
6/7/2018 Bonnaroo Festival Manchester, TN, USA
6/16/2018 CLEARWATER FESTIVAL Croton-on-Hudson, NY, USA
7/8/2018 Timber Festival National Forest (Bham - Nham)
8/4/2018 Wilderness Festival Oxfordshire, UK

Photo Credit: Tom Pallant

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