Jenn's Apartment
Lansing, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
Music
Press
Jenn’s Apartment is a three-piece ensemble that has broadened their sound and come to us with a new album called Forever For The End. This album is a look into the rock band's new sound and storytelling journeys. It’s a melodic and upbeat pop rock album with folksy vocals and a variety of sounds.
The album starts out with the track “Baby I’m Riding” which has a clean and fun introduction. All the instruments start to come in with an upbeat sound. They’re all very well balanced, each loud enough to add character but not too overbearing to overshadow any other instruments or stand out. The vocals are interesting, although nothing too memorable, and the melody and general sound of the band keeps the tempo high and positive. The lyrics are excellent, easy to follow and paint a vivid picture that we can follow; it makes the album engaging and relatable.
The album keeps going with the same sound, vibe and pace in the second track, “Cut My Hair.” It’s a fast paced rhythm but chill and enjoyable with a mellow and positive vibe. The guitar solo halfway through is spot on in this track, and it showcases the musician's talent really well. This song is a bit more emotional than the first track and gives the vocalist more room to show his range.
The song changes pace a bit and the sound transitions to a more calm and laid back style. The song, “Too Late” has a chill acoustic sound that gives the album a nice different change of direction. The vocals also go back to the style of the first song, more in the background and less prominent.
Jenn’s Apartment showcases a good amount of their creativity and their signature sound in this album. They move from a fast-paced rock sound with badass drums and fast guitars to a more mellow acoustic style that always has a folksy, storytelling lyrics that take us through a vivid and interesting journey. The musicians have a clean and consistent sound that makes the album an easy listen. - Divide and Conquer
Jenn’s Apartment is a Lansing, MI, based three-piece band with a pop-punk sound. Their music easily fits into the description of alt-rock as well. Forever For The End was released near the end of 2016, and one listen to the four tracks on this EP will have you wishing there was more.
Jenn’s Apartment is Roy Kirby on guitar/vocals, Chris Davis on bass/vocals, and Justin Pine on drums/vocals. Nope, no women in the band despite what you might think because of the band’s name. It looks like they play out once in a while around their own Lansing stomping grounds, including a stint last year at Mac’s.
“Baby, I’m Riding” is the first track on this EP. This song has a great beat and is reminiscent of the pop-punk sounds that have been coming out of the Lansing area for decades. This is an anthem song for people that are barely surviving, an anthem for people that just keep kicking and just keep moving. It’s a catchy tune. “How can we call this living life when all we do is survive?”
“Cut My Hair” is a little more mellow than that first track and has more of an alternative sound. It’s still a song filled with lyrics about life. There are a lot of relatable things in these songs, yet they also have an interesting edge to them about cops and drugs and such. The songs have kind of an epic feel to them in this way.
“Too Late” is an anti-love song. If you’re celebrating a “singles” Valentine’s Day you should add this track to your playlist. “Never even had a first date.” Sometimes you meet someone and think “what if?” Sometimes that’s as far as things go. The slow beat to this one really adds a new flavor to this collection of songs.
“Lost Along The Way” picks the beat back up giving the EP a sharp finish. The guitars are really excellent on this track, making it the best of the four. This one will have you missing 90s alt-rock and wanting to watch movies like Reality Bites again.
This is a talented band with a fresh sound for this day and age. Their music has a rough sound to it like you’d expect from a recording without too much mixing done. For a local band, this is a five-star album. Hopefully, they’ll work on some new stuff sometime soon. - Side Stage Magazine
Discography
Forever for the End - January 2017
We're A Small Band - April 2018
Jaren - December 2018
Photos
Bio
Jenn's Apartment was formed in 2004 by Roy Kirby with childhood friend Matthew Anderson, and local drummer Travis Stoliker. The band's initial offering, 2004's "Let Them Talk We Will Sing" is pock marked with signs of the era, post hardcore/pop punk riffs with the mandatory screamo climax. But it serves as an introduction to the band's high live energy and the early glimpses of singer/guitarist Roy Kirby's folk inspired story teller songwriting style.
The band's well received 2006 follow up "Divide and Conquer" found the band expanding their sound and line up, while refining their pop sensibilities and further developing their own unique sound. Additional vocalist Jesse Lovejoy, and Josh Peek provided a catchy call and response vocal style, best showcased in fan favorite from the album "Uh Oh". The band became a favorite at the local Lansing venue The Temple Club. Sharing the stage with national acts like Lucky Boys Confusion, Blackpool Lights (ex Get Up Kids), The Arcade Fire, Catch 22, Socratic, The Atari's, and others.
The band's planned 2007 release "It's Science" was an expansion of the bands folk inspired pop punk sound. Songwriter Roy Kirby's songs grew increasingly political and full of pop hooks propelling the album's early single "March On" to quick popularity on multiple online music streaming platforms. Unfortunately, several line-up changes led to the band disbanding before the album was given a proper release. Though some bootleg copies of the album were circulated at the band's last few shows before their hiatus.
In 2015, songwriter/guitarist Roy Kirby reformed Jenn's Apartment with drummer Justin Pine and bassist/vocalist Chris Davis.
In 2016 they released the Forever For The End EP. The release found the band returning to their power trio roots and delivering a folk rock/alternative/pop punk album that was reviewed positively. Divideandconquermusic.com said:"The lyrics are excellent, easy to follow and paint a vivid picture that we can follow; it makes the album engaging and relatable."
Side Stage Magazine said "This is a talented band with a fresh sound for this day and age. 'this is a five-star album."
On the 20th of April 2018 the band revealed their first full length release We're a Small Band. Completely produced and recorded independently by the band. In the tradition of other classic power trios like Cream, Nirvana, and Green Day; the album's sound is dynamic and catchy. Rhythm guitars jangle and crunch, while leads squeal and bass lines punctuate energetic drums. The vocals recall 2000's era alternative bands like Eve 6 and the story teller narrative recalls similar back to basics bands like The Hold Steady. Creating a sound that is unique, but familiar at the same time; and wholly their own. We're a Small Band is proof that a small, independent band can still sound big and relevant in today's saturated music market.
Band Members
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