January Jane – Your Drug

By starrymag | August 2, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

Pat: Somebody told us when we played in Prague that we sounded like Thirty Seconds to Bruno Mars’ Muse. Works for me!

Mitch: 80’s stretch limo with a brand new hot tub in the back… or maybe, all the fun of a late night in NYC with none of the hangover.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

Pat: Well, the band has so many influences in common, but to name a few everything from the Beatles and Stones, to Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson, and Prince, to Duran Duran, INXS, Van Halen, Metallica, Soundgarden along with contemporary artists like The Killers, Muse, Daft Punk, The Knocks, Disclosure – the list goes on and on.

Mitch: Yeah, we realized that the musical union in our Venn diagram was quite diverse, and very large, when we were first introduced… we’re all over the place with our influences!

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song/video “Versions of You.”

Pat: The story behind “Versions” started when I saw a model on the train who looked so unhappy looking at pictures from her portfolio. It made me think people search for happiness in different versions of themselves in everything they do and in the relationships that they have – and sometimes never find it. In terms of the video, imagine a love story from the end to the beginning all while chasing ghosts of what was and what could be.

Mitch: We had the opportunity to work with Peter Roessler as Director and his team, along with the talented Nicole Sammantha. It was a great experience, especially with everyone testing negative for COVID! Hopefully that will be the last time we have to bring a mobile medical rapid test team to a video shoot. Everyone tested negative, so that was a positive! Overall, it was a great experience amid a pandemic.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

Pat: People connect with the feeling in the story of the music, everyone has different versions of themselves on all different levels. I hope all those different versions are listening!

Mitch: It’s gotta be the crunchy grooves, the crunchier the better. LOL

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

Pat: We used double exposure to show different versions of ourselves that sometimes can appear from the depths of the subconscious.

Mitch: You tell us! https://youtu.be/bWY4MPunbTY

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

Pat: It’s always different, but for lyrics you don’t always need music. Anything that sparks inspiration. You have to just make sure you write it all down before it disappears.

Mitch: There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it, some songs are written in ten minutes, others took three years to complete.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

Pat: We are always working alongside each other and producers no matter what the song is. Sometimes it’s about carving out specific moods, tones and sounds, so we’re involved in it all.

Mitch: A 100% – nothing makes it on an album that we don’t all love.

Q) What are some themes you explore on your upcoming EP Your Drug?

Pat: Love, finding your way, the different faces we wear and being lost in the nights of New York City.

Mitch: Our music is certainly a smorgasbord of our lived experiences in NYC… and we hope, a scrumptious and delicious representation of these events… many of which, in hindsight, seem rather insane! You can take us out of NYC, but you can’t take NYC of our music.

Q) What songs on the album hold a special place in your heart?

Pat: All of them have special places in my heart, but “Your Drug” has an epicness that I dig a lot. It’s a big sound and I love that about it.

Mitch: It’s wrong to choose a favorite child… even if some aren’t potty trained; I love ‘em all equally!

Q) Which tracks challenged you the most to create?

Pat: Completing the EP over a three year span was quite the challenge,  but the beauty of that is, is that the songs were always evolving. Finding the place to put down the paint brush was the hardest part – not the worst problem to have!

Mitch: We have forty or fifty fully recorded tracks now. The hardest part was picking which songs would make up the EP… Although, that actually wasn’t hard at all since Matt Pinfield was kind enough to do that for us. Thanks Matt!

Q) With concerts currently on hold, will you be doing any live streams to help promote the EP?

Pat: We’ve been performing for radio personalities and tastemakers to promote the music, and we are excited to host some live streams coming up. Hopefully, we’ll be back on a physical stage in person soon!

Mitch: We’ve been performing private/virtual concerts pretty consistently over the past months, but nothing can ever take the place of a live audience! I know we’re doing the MONDO Festival here, in NYC, in October and we’ll be announcing a bunch of tour dates soon, as well, so stay tuned!

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

Pat: Elon Musk. He’s one of the most interesting forward-looking people in the world and I think he can see the future on some sort of superhero level (maybe it’s his ability to control the crypto market)!

Mitch: Danny DeVito. We’re all huge fans!

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

Pat: I’m looking for new music, one album I found recently was by The Japanese House – Chewing Cotton Wool. Lots of layers to the lyrics and music.

Mitch: Dierks Bentley… love the authenticity!

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

Pat: Right now, social media is a great tool to connect especially during a pandemic with so many restrictions for travel and interacting in general. But, for me, connecting in person and performing live is much more fun (which the world will get back too soon hopefully!).

Mitch: It’s the only way to connect in real time without hopping on the world’s largest Zoom call.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

Pat: Thanks for all your love and support, see you live and in person very, very soon!

Mitch: Thanks Mom!

 

 

Watch The Video For New Single “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”