J.O.S.
Trailer
Cry Little Baby – Offical Video
J.O.S. – Press Release
From the Birthplace of British Blues
From the Home of British Rock
Comes
J.O.S.
From the heartland of The Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Marshall Amps and The Ealing Club comes J.O.S. – a four-piece band from Ealing, comprising school friends John O’Shea, Rosie Botterill, Sara Fedi and Joe Steward.
Formed in the birthplace of British rock in 2011, J.O.S. are united by their belief in each other and in the music they play. Lifelong Guns N’ Roses fans, the band grew up in the heyday of Nirvana and Oasis – a time when rock music mattered not just to rock music fans, but to the world.
Does rock still matter? We now find ourselves in an age of lowered expectations, where tweets mean more than tracks, where social media mean more than song-writing and where ‘likes’ mean more than real fans. In an industry where labels would rather invest in talent shows rather than songwriters, where pop stars are porn stars, where rap stars are disconnected from their roots and where rock stars have become a distant memory.
Sounds like insurmountable odds, but J.O.S. are dedicated to putting rock back into the heart of the industry, and back into the hands of musicians. J.O.S. know the enemy, have seen the odds and have survived.
Their combined passions for what they do and whom they do it for is encapsulated and brought to life in their new ‘Know Your Enemy EP’. The record draws on their influences from the past and gives the listener a glimpse of what is possible for the future.
1. Know Your Enemy.
The EP opens with a fan favourite. Thanks to its throwback riff and driving bassline, Know Your Enemy always goes down a storm at J.O.S. shows. The song’s lyrics open with a paranoid tone, but by the end they face the fact that we are all our own worst enemy.
2. Rock Is Alive
Rock Is Alive, more than any other song in the J.O.S. back catalogue, fully encapsulates what the band stands for and hopes to achieve. Opening with a rip-roaring riff, from the outset this song takes no prisoners. Balancing heaviness and melody with positivity in the face of adversity, Rock Is Alive is the archetypal J.O.S. song.
3. Twisted Corridor
One of band’s earliest tracks, this is a Red Bull energy drink of a song. With the lyrics influenced by mid-90s techno punk and the music influenced by mid-90s British Indie, Twisted Corridor is one of the most energetic tracks on the EP.
4. Big Boys Don’t Cry
The light and dark of J.O.S. could not be better captured than it is here. Both musically and the lyrically, the song moves back and forth from angst to optimism throughout. One of the more emotional songs on the EP, Big Boys Don’t Cry will leave you bruised, but uplifted.
5. Cry Little Baby
The closing song of the EP is a 3-minute epic bursting with distorted bass, flashing pianos and crashing guitars. A song about coming to terms with who you are and what you are, Cry Little Baby demonstrates how J.O.S. are able to face the hard truths of life, both with honesty and hope.
93 Feet East – 01/04/2016
The Work Shop – 24/06/2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/263822317290158/
The Spice of Life – 08/07/2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/970203733087594/
O2 Academy Islington – 26/08/2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/1024595684244003/
The Alley Cat – 03/09/2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/1608119862838850/
“J.O.S. isn’t about showing people how great Rock N Roll once was… it’s about showing them how great Rock N Roll will be once again.””
Photography by Paula John-jules.
Cry Little Baby music video directed by new talent Alfie Dale – www.alfiedale.com
The Know Your Enemy EP was mixed by BonaFideStudio
The Know Your Enemy EP artwork from the oil painting Self-Portrait by Stan Erisman. Reproduced with permission of the artist.