jetpack syndrome

Any fans of John Grant can prepare to be instantly enamoured by Jetpack Syndrome’s latest single “Gift”. In an ingeniously immersive mash up of 80s Synth Electronica, Hip Hop and sardonic wit, the up and coming artist has curated his sound to sit neatly on the contemporary curve.

The level of experimentalism found within Gift proves that Jetpack Syndrome have just what it takes to create infectiously fresh tracks. The level of progression found within the soundscape ensures that there isn’t a hint of predictability. From a fairly archetypal Hip Hop beat, Gift transcends into fairly wavy, sonic aural chaos as the track starts to draw to a close, but even as Jetpack Syndrome tests the boundaries of music it is still perceptible that there is an infinite amount of talent put into the way the multi-layered instrumental arrangement fits together so tightly.

You can check out Jetpack’s exciting new single for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast - ANR Factory

JMH – For You I Sing the Blues

JMH (Jesse Michael Hardman) self describes his latest LP ‘Sojourn’ (available now) a “21st century blues” endeavor. We whole heartedly agree. From the rapturous expansion of the vocal presentation, soothing tensions of the subject matter, and delectable blues notes from that warm toned guitar, it succeeds in many levels. “‘For You I Sing the Blues’ is a tale of being there for a person who may need help but does not yet want to accept help,” stated JMH. “It chronicles a narrator’s desire to be there for someone in need but also the narrator’s worries as they see that person get stuck in a funk. This song serves as a reminder that someone out there can understand and help others through their struggles.” A pop single with one foot in those past decades full of live attitudes and grit, JMH’s takes us on a journey of his choosing. The honesty and dedication is evident in all of his musical elements.

Ky Burt – Small Town Dream

Artistry and conviction goes into the craftsmanship of KY BURT’s upcoming debut full length album ‘The Sky In Between’ (April 5th). Rather majestic in its horizons, his single ‘Small Town Dream’ casts a small shadow of gray, as it depicts all of the little thing that makes life’s existence, what it is. The affirmation for the dreams of a growing boy, to the outcrops of imaginations for the right direction in life, all folded into the realms of one’s heart and desires – Ky builds the bricks of tantamount evolutions, in relationships of firm introspection. It’s our own, further judgements that comes to nibble at our yet unconfirmed future. Observations of things that have overstayed the future, but they struggle on to exists anyways – no matter the consequences. Ky stated: “[Small Town Dream] is my observation of the oldest towns that are still barely hanging on, where the roots run deep but the pockets lay thin. It is a testament of the enduring spirit and struggles of a country that is modernizing quicker than its antiquated towns can keep up with.” Some things can’t be protected, but memories can be in song. Ky give it his all.

Shutups – Yellowjacket

Singer/songwriter Hadley and drummer Mia are more than ‘this’. They are ‘then some’. For their creative pageantry knows no bounds, from erratically erotic visions culminating in sonic and visual manifestations, to understated adjunct horrific in emotional restitutions, the duo does no wrong in our eyes. “It didn’t feel like a happy ending movie plot,” Hadley said of his return from a tragically timed accident. “I came out depressed and not wanting to do anything. The band saved me.” Indeed. Indirectly, the band was also saved because of the accident, and the affection the college buddies had for each other. And what of ‘Yellowjacket’? “I address putting art above a social life and seeing the effects of that. In it, I also talk literally about regretting haircuts, as well as being sick for an entire summer. It’s lyrically not a very cohesive song, but themes of discontent reign supreme.” Cohesive in its un-cohesiveness. Well played you two. Well played. Mia added: “We’ve been through some very real personal highs and lows. It’s a friendship that has persisted to a point where we know each other’s idiosyncrasies, favorite things, and we share a sense of humor. You can’t force that – it takes countless hours on the road with someone or in a studio to have that sort of connection.” We at CHF are all about this kind of love that Hadley and Mia have for each other. Word.

The Sweet Kill – WAR

Project of Pete Mills, THE SWEET KILL is a dark and enchanting succession to a thought, a memory, a subsequent conversation to the wry rapture of within. A strength on strength phoenix of resurrection to peace and of an invigoration to an attitude. “War depicts the struggle of addition,” stated Pete. “Moving from one hit/drink to the next there is no regard for anything or anyone else even ones own self. I’m able to go there having overcome my own demons…Addiction is NOT a moral issue and the treatment community and medical professionals consider it an illness.” War is the lead single for the upcoming Ep ‘Love & Death’.

Jetpack Syndrome – Where Did the Sky Go?

“JETPACK SYNDROME is our name for a very deliberate reason. It illuminates the false relationship between achievement and true happiness. We tend to believe that a certain amount of wealth, a certain level of popularity, or how we look in the mirror will solve all of our deeply rooted issues. All of these achievements are similar in the fact that they only help temporarily, thus leaving us unsatisfied and unhappy again, and again, and again.” The band continued: “True happiness and flying are known to have figuratively similar sensations… while on the other hand, are known for being rather impossible to achieve all on our own. That being said, we believe that if one hopes to truly achieve flight (true happiness), it requires something much better, and much more genuine than those “desirable” achievements mentioned earlier. That thing is purpose.” From a seed of meaning and seeking of balance, JETPACK SYNDROME’s music construction reveals itself as an outcropping of their philosophical dedication. John Patterson and William Brice are the duo behind this project, and with it, they summon our greatest potentials within. - Come Here Floyd

Jetpack Syndrome is forging a new path for their experimental musical production and motivational message, illustrating the innovation of local musicians and furthering the value of the Athens music scene for those that follow it.

Local Athens band Jetpack Syndrome picked the word “syndrome” because it lends those inflicted to one day owning their flaws. The goal of their project is to portray the unbound human condition, not only make “cool beats and cool sounds”.

Will Brice, a University of Georgia senior and film junkie, and John Patterson, a UGA grad turned commercial insurance broker, met in 2017 during a linguistics class icebreaker — which John claims was “an elective, if you had to guess” — and realized both wanted to play and produce music.

They began collaborating in Patterson’s apartment, him on drums and Brice on guitar. Soon they were self-producing original music of a novel stylistic blend, garnering over 60,000 plays on Spotify and landing billings like Athens’ 2019 Classic City Music Festival.

Why seek such a unique musical style?

Patterson: We're just going to use every tool that we can to just reach this point that we think it sounds good. So it’s like, we want to never put ourselves in a box. And it being two people, you know, we're not just like, all right, you're the guitarist or the bassist. Especially with modern music technology, you can essentially do anything. So limiting yourself is obviously a huge cripple.

How do you draw from larger influences?

Brice: You know, I will be listening to one song and go, “Oh, I really liked the drums on those” and then listen to another song and go, “Oh, I really like how they did that on that.” But they're two completely different songs, and so the goal is to go okay, how would I do both of those at same time? One of us will get stuck on a song and just be like, I want to make our version of this almost...once you get the idea down, it's like okay, now let's make this ours, now let's just go off the wall and put whatever we want on it.

What are some of those influences?

Brice: The Venn diagram would be somebody like 21 Pilots, just because we only have two people...they really popularized the, like, rap/rock. Like, not like Rage Against the Machine, although we really love them, too...I'm a big fan of Radiohead. We both really love Gorillaz. Gorillaz is another one of those bands where they just do literally whatever sounds good.

Patterson: There's a lot of bands, but I think we gravitate towards bands that don't fit within a certain mold. So, you know, you see a lot of bands that it's very obvious they're going for like one specific thing, they're really good at it. We'll just be okay at a lot of things.

Which of your original songs fits that goal of ambiguity most?

Patterson: I listen to "Circles" and "Gift" the most.

Brice. Those two songs. I feel like no matter what we do, somehow we always gravitate back towards the ridiculously heavy guitar and drums. It's like, crash, we're going crazy so we're like we can't, we can't help it...if we hear a melody when we start making a song, we're like, man, we could really just bring this out at some point, really amplify it. We're like, okay, might as well.

Do you go back and listen to your songs?

Patterson: You know how Spotify releases your year in review? And it releases your top artists you listened to? Jetpack Syndrome was number five for me.

Brice: I hate going back and listening to our songs just because of what he said, which is the whole: ah, it's not done. Ah, I have to leave the room if somebody plays it.

Where is JPS going?

Patterson: I think we've said either we're going to make it or we're gonna die.

John: It's either we release really good songs and a really good album and we make money on the gigs, or other bands that we tour with or whatever or see play, we go, “Hey, we can help you record your stuff.” Because I'm really interested in that side, just like making the music.

Patterson: Essentially we're slowly building an escape pod to fly out of this mundane lifestyle. Takes time. - Reed Winckler