Ears Wide Open: JR Slayer

S.Lo on January 14th, 2019

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JR Slayer is the nom de tune of guitarist Cody Votolato (who’s played in hardcore outfits Head Wound City, Blood Brothers and Jaguar Love and contributed to records by Cold Cave, Dude York, Against Me! and his brother, Rocky Votolato). Now based in Los Angeles, Votolato has made musical space for himself, “JR Slayer is just a place where I’m able to navigate all the different things I’ve naturally started doing over the past few years, be it songwriting, solo albums, remixes or producing… I wanted it to start a new chapter, with an opportunity to not be ‘a member of,’ not be ‘Cody from this or that.’ It’s just JR Slayer, it’s what I do.”

Originally intending to write just an EP, a full album of nine songs tumbled out about unexpected encounters, long-distance love and new relationships. The singles “Half Lyfe” and “There Is Nothing Else Around Me” were teased last month ahead of his live performance at FOMO Week at the Echo last week, where Andrew Martin of Moon Honey joined in on guitar, Polartropica on keys and JR Slayer’s sister on backing vocals. “Half Lyfe” is a wistful song about realizing another person makes one feel whole and that it’s worth doing whatever it takes to stay together, otherwise you’re just (Smiths references aside) just half a person.

“There Is Nothing Else Around Me” is about finding that right person at the right time, with JR Slayer metaphorically describing them as an enveloping atmosphere that becomes grounded into place once he and they connect. The sweet tune is about people finding home in each other. There are no other distractions at this point in life and priorities are clear that it’s the relationship that matters. Whether this other figure is an actual person or a vocation, like music, is left open. “JR Slayer in its current form is a sacred home for me. It is a safe space to start new conversations with art and music and understand how I relate not only to it, but myself. Not one where I am trying to receive as much as I give to it, but one that allows me to fully realize myself while being able to step out of my comfort zone,” said Votolato. Written, produced and mixed by himself and mastered by Joshua Head, JR Slayer’s second album, “You Found Me,” is set for release on Feb. 1.

||| Stream: “Half Lyfe” and “There Is Nothing Else Around Me”