Having already built a huge amount of notoriety through their solo outlets, LA-based cartoonist Jack Sjogren and Cincinnati-based songwriter and producer Joey Joesph come together as JJ & The Mood to share their debut jam 'How Many Times'..
Channelling the diverse post-punk sound of LCD Soundsystem, 'How Many Times' sees them return with a wonderfully insatiable groove. Filled with smooth rhythms, killer hooks, and an enticing sound throughout, this new release will have you tapping your toes from start to finish.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has inspired them most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Joey: Piano - I took Suzuki method lessons when I was little, and then got really into Danny Elfman’s film scores, and started “composing” my own little melodramatic piano pieces - before moving onto an obsession with ragtime piano. A tale as old as time.
Jack: Guitar. I grew up in church and was surrounded by musicians. When I saw my parents’ friend Rick play a killer set with his band at a local restaurant, I thought “If Rick can do this, I definitely can.” So I started lessons with the church’s worship leader that week.
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
Jack: I was a huge fan of metal and hardcore music, while also listening to a ton of pop music and R&B — anything Timbaland touched, Usher, D’Angelo, Missy Elliott. I also loved Hot Chip, The Rapture, Junior Senior, anything I could dance and sing to with my friends.
Joey: I also listened to a lot of metal and hardcore. My friend, Alex, got me really into the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica. Californication was on repeat in his garage while we skated the small mini ramp he had built, at the same time as the first Strokes album. I also discovered bands like Blonde Redhead, Spoon, and Modest Mouse from watching skateboarding videos. I really don’t know what my musical tastes would be now if I had never skateboarded.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Joey: The first album I remember asking my mom to buy me was either “Fashion Over Function” by The Deadlines, or “Drew’s Famous Halloween Party Music.” The first CD I remember buying for myself was “Rockin’ The Suburbs” by Ben Folds. And just to round it out: the last two albums I got in the mail were “Presentable Corpse 002” by Jorge Elbrecht, and “...Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings” by The Besnard Lakes.
Jack: When I was five, I called the 1-800 number from a commercial selling the Alvin & the Chipmunks soundtrack. When they asked for payment info, I just gave the phone to my mom apropos of nothing. I had enough saved up in my allowance, so she let me buy it. I listened to it so much, it was a great investment! A few years later, my mom gave me a collection of 50s hits called “Rock Around the Clock.” That one was *chef’s kiss*.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Jack: Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush. It goes so many places, it’s so unexpected, so catchy and magical. Either that or The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy. Raw positivity, raw power, it’s delicious and nutritious. I literally have the title tattooed on my arm.
Joey: MacArthur Park.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Joey: Usually before I start working on music I like to light some incense, carry it around the room and get things hazy, and express gratitude for the time to be creative, and for the ideas that have presented themselves to me. I usually drink a little too much coffee at this time, as well.
Jack: I try to clear my mind and visualize skimming off the top of my subconscious, then record whatever comes out. Recording it as I write is the most important aspect, since I have ADHD and my working memory isn’t always reliable. Also, sometimes I make a cup of decaf coffee.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Jack: I love the new Disclosure album ENERGY. It takes a lot of inspiration from late 70s/early 80s dance and R&B, plus some tasty African samples. The production they incorporate makes it feel fresh as hell. I’ve also been loving MICHELLE, a fairly young collective of musicians in NYC. They’re so catchy, I can’t get enough. Grover Washington Jr.’s Winelight has been on repeat for me today. It’s juicy Dad dinner party music, that’s all I can say.
Joey: Lately I’ve been listening to Van Dyke Parks, Jane Birkin, Devo, and Patti Smith. I recently discovered Brion Starr - of his music I loved 2020, and I’ve had Global Identity on repeat. Oh, also I love listening to Night Dolls With Hairspray by James Ferraro while I do laundry.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Joey: Easy. The bill would be us, The Blue Nile, Kate Bush, and Beyoncé. And then we’d all write and record a song together afterwards.
Jack: My ideal billing would be Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, and Vulfpeck. Beyoncé would make a surprise appearance at some point during our set, of course, with the same number dancers as her Superbowl halftime show.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Jack: I finally get to hear the music I’ve been wishing existed my whole life. And I get to connect with my friends and listeners on a level deeper than language.
Joey: Making art in general. It’s just thrilling to get something out of my head - to make something where there was empty space before. Creation, man.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Joey: Trying to release and share music can be really hard. The thing you make can’t really mean to anyone else what it means to you. It can be really hard to keep realistic expectations and a healthy perspective through the process of releasing new music.
Jack: Re-realizing that not every idea can be a winner, even after you’ve been working on it for hours, days, or weeks. And, yeah, the business side of things is tedious, nebulous, and an entirely different skill set. I’ve learned that the making of the art, whatever it is, has to be as or more rewarding than whatever the reception to it is. However people respond, it will never really be enough, because I’m chasing self-approval without realizing it most of the time.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Jack: My friend Jeff Pianki has said “there are no rules in music.” That is terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. We’re all just out here playing Calvinball, so to speak. How exciting to play a game where we invent the rules as we go.
Joey: I was on tour with my old band, and someone told us if we wanted to make it in music all we had to do was to “be good and don’t quit.” I still think about that a lot. I love music, and I think I’d still be making records if I was the last person left on earth, so I want to be the kind of artist who just sticks around.
-
JJ & The Mood's new single 'How Many Times' is out now. Have a listen to it in the player below.