Jane's Party has also announced a new lineup of tour dates.
Toronto/Los Angeles quartet Jane's Party kick off their new year today with the infectious single, “Common Guys,” in advance of a run of Northeast tour dates, kicking off January 22 in New York City [all dates below]. In conjunction, the band has shared a comic strip lyric video featuring some of their favorite comments from fans, or detractors, left on their YouTube channel over the years.
The music for “Common Guys” was written by bassist Devon Richardson, with the working title, “ABBA Ripper,” before handing it off to vocalist/guitarist Tom Ionesu, who notes, "I totally loved the feeling of the beat, and a few weeks later, on a walk in the park with my headphones on, I finished the entire song in a matter of minutes.
Producing the recording required walking a very fine line between polished dance-pop and slacker indie rock. With the turn of a dial, the tune would teeter too far in either direction – either gaining too much confidence, or losing the fun, dancy atmosphere. My production note to our wonderful mix engineer, Matty Green was… 'think grade 8 school dance, after school in the gym, trying to muster up the courage to ask a girl out'. That was the only way I could describe what the track needed to feel like. We also made a point to highlight all the backing vocals, which rally behind our protagonist to muster up the courage to make it through to the end of the song.”
Jane's Party wrapped up in 2023 in a flourish releasing the single “Ships On An Ocean,” prior to hitting the road across North America supporting acclaimed UK artist Tom Odell. Additionally, the quartet released Wild in the Woods 1, their much loved YouTube series born out of the pandemic lockdown - a collaborative effort with musical friends, in which the band transformed unlikely outdoor spaces into mesmerizing performance venues.
Over the past dozen years Jane's Party has experimented with different sounds and styles, influences and eras, the sonic identity that first emerged with their demo debut The Garage Sessions has remained: simple-but-substantial melodies, rich, multi-part harmonies, and a mastery of musical dynamism. “Common Guys" is the first in a series of singles to be released in 2024 as they additionally work on a new full-length record. Initial Spring West Coast dates have been announced in Los Angeles and Vancouver, with more in the works.
01/22 – New York, NY @ Heaven Can Wait [tickets]
01/23 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts [tickets]
01/24 – Montreal, PQ @ Bar le Ritz [tickets]
01/25 – Ottawa, ON @ Live On Elgin [tickets]
01/26 – Peterborough, ON @ Jethro's [no advance tickets]
01/27 – Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace [tickets]
03/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café [tickets]
04/03 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret [tickets]
Photo credit: Nikki Omerod
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