On his deeply private new album ‘Remedy Notes,’ Canadian singer/songwriter Jon Bryant turns life’s messiest moments into tender, soul-searching songs that really feel like pages torn from a non-public journal.
Stream: ‘Remedy Notes’ – Jon Bryant
Listening to a Jon Bryant album can really feel like eavesdropping on a non-public remedy session – besides you’re welcome to remain, really feel, and perhaps breathe somewhat simpler.
His newest file, Remedy Notes, is a uncooked, soul-baring assortment of songs that navigate grief, progress and the fleeting nature of life. It reads like a journal cracked broad open.
The Canadian folks singer/songwriter has been making music for over 15 years, carving out an area for emotional storytelling wrapped in wealthy acoustic textures and heat melodies. However this chapter of his profession feels totally different. Extra pressing. Extra susceptible. And perhaps that’s as a result of his life is shifting in massive methods – he’s about to change into a father.
“It appears like I’m in a ready room, ready for this subsequent life to start out,” Bryant says.
It’s made songwriting more durable, not simpler. “I’ve to cease having expectations about what I believe it’s and simply faucet into what’s going on proper now, which is simply chaotic.”
Nonetheless, the chaos appears to be a artistic catalyst for Bryant,
who just lately returned from an intense three-day writing journey in Mexico Metropolis that yielded six new songs, together with a heartfelt collaboration with UK singer-songwriter Rose Betts.
His music has all the time been deeply private, however tracks like “Finest Half” and “Visiting Hours” go a step additional, wrestling overtly with mortality and remorse. The latter was written the day earlier than Bryant fulfilled a dying lady’s last want by enjoying a home live performance in her honor. Co-written with a good friend whose personal husband was unknowingly dealing with terminal most cancers, the music turned a shared expression of loss, and an anthem for presence.
Whether or not he’s mourning misplaced time, poking enjoyable at himself in “Dolly,” or considering the dreamscape of “I Wanna Die in LA,” Bryant threads all the pieces along with a quiet reverence for what it means to be human in an advanced, digital world.
Atwood Journal spoke with Bryant in regards to the feelings behind Remedy Notes, the surreal aspect of on-line fame, what his future little one would possibly consider his music… and the way, by means of all of it, he’s studying to let go of the parable of management.
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:: stream/buy Remedy Notes right here ::
:: join with Jon Bryant right here ::
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A CONVERSATION WITH JON BRYANT
Atwood Journal: Congratulations! I hear you’re going to be a dad quickly. How has this complete expertise modified you – as an individual and as a songwriter?
Jon Bryant: It’s positively making it more durable as a result of it’s like I’m making an attempt on a brand new identification in a method as a future dad, however not but a dad. So, it appears like I’m on this ready room, ready for this subsequent life to start out and actually, it’s been type of difficult to put in writing songs from that perspective. I’ve to cease having expectations about what I believe it’s and simply faucet into what’s going on proper now, which is simply chaotic. It’s onerous to seek out that house and time in my thoughts.
Do you begin fascinated by the lyrics, the messages or the tales you wish to inform based mostly in your little one listening to these songs?
Jon Bryant: Yeah, I believe so. I need them to love my music sometime. They’ll hate it. They’ll in all probability suppose it’s cringe, I’m positive, after they flip 14. I didn’t essentially love the music my dad listened to after I was a child.
What did your dad hearken to – coming from the East Coast of Canada, was there some Rita McNeil and The Rankin household?
Jon Bryant: He did like a few of these. He was extra a fan of Southern gospel and, he favored Il Devo. And my mother favored listening to Fleetwood Mac and the cooler music, I consider the 70s, Corridor and Oates. And so I acquired a bit into that stuff, however I rebelled and went to punk and steel and like Rage Towards the Machine. However then, I got here again to some cool gospel music. So yeah, I wouldn’t say I beloved it after I was a youngster, however I’ve come to understand a variety of it.
I noticed that you simply have been simply in Mexico Metropolis for a songwriter’s workshop. Rose Betts was additionally there, whom I like. Are you able to inform me about that?
Jon Bryant: I like Rose as properly. It was wonderful. I acquired in late on a Thursday night time after which we wrote for 3 days straight, and we got here away with six songs. I wrote with Rose the primary day and we acquired a extremely lovely music. I used to be simply chatting together with her immediately. We completed the music that we began, completed earlier immediately. And yeah, she’s a beautiful, pretty human.
I really like your songwriting, however there are a few lyrics in some songs, particularly in “Finest Half,” that knocked me off my toes: “Why, oh, why did it take so lengthy to understand life’s too brief to waste on closing doorways” and “I am uninterested in my bullsh*t / uninterested in my bluffs.” What sort of soul-searching was happening to make that music occur?
Jon Bryant: It’s humorous how that that music got here collectively – it simply kind of got here out someday. I used to be simply enjoying round with this actually easy chord development, and it simply kind of got here out multi functional piece. To be trustworthy, I can’t actually take credit score for it. It was like this stream of consciousness. I used to be actually, actually fortunate to have tapped into it for a minute. It’s essentially the most trustworthy music I believe I’ve ever put out.
Your entire songs appear deeply private and really trustworthy. How do you resolve what to share and what to maintain to your self?
Jon Bryant: I do know this songwriter who instructed me, in case you’re having hassle writing songs, attempt to write 5 songs with the intention that nobody will ever hear them. That’s how uncooked and actual and susceptible they have to be. After which if there’s a technique to pull again on a few of the stuff that’s somewhat too jarring and private, you may get to a spot at a music the place it’s precisely what the world wants to listen to. It’s a fantastic line.
“Visiting Hours” looks as if a really private music. Do you wish to discuss that one? You do not have to in case you do not wish to.
Jon Bryant: Yeah, completely. It was proper across the time after I acquired requested to play somebody’s, principally for somebody’s loss of life mattress in Dallas. It was for a TikTok/Instagram physician’s instructor from Med college. She was dying of breast most cancers.
Her and her husband hosted home concert events for years and she or he had a want listing of artists, like a moonshot listing of artists that she would like to have play – Bob Dylan, Ben Folds, a couple of different artists after which me. I had about 1,000 individuals message me in someday and it was simply chaotic to get again to everyone and say thanks. As a result of I’m actually intentional about connecting with everybody that writes me and simply making an attempt to attempt to make everybody know that I see their message, that it doesn’t simply go into some void.
And so wrote again to the physician and mentioned, ‘hey, put me in contact with the household. I’d like to make this occur.’ And the following day I used to be in a writing session with my good friend Scott [Effman] and Rosi [Golan]. We wrote that music. After which I went and performed the present. However I didn’t know till somewhat later that Rosi, the co-writer of that music, her husband, three weeks later, acquired recognized with a really aggressive most cancers. He handed away eight months later, and it was principally per week earlier than we launched the music. In order that music simply hits another way. It’s all about embracing the very restricted time we now have with everybody.
I used to be going to ask you about that as a result of it appears to be a theme on the album – there are a few songs that reference the “life is brief” type of factor and I used to be questioning the place that was coming from. Is that one thing you concentrate on so much?
Jon Bryant: Oh, I give it some thought so much. I’m simply cognizant of how fragile life is, I believe while you get to journey and also you get to see the world, and I’ve met so many individuals simply by doing this job … you’re reminded about it on a regular basis. I simply depend the blessings I’ve, and I name my mother and I’m simply very intentional about making an attempt to be in contact with all of the connections I’ve made through the years.
Is there significance to the album title, Remedy Notes? As a result of while you begin actually listening to the lyrics, it sounds prefer it might be a remedy session.
Jon Bryant: I might do remedy, but it surely’s costly. So music and writing turned it for me and post-COVID, there was a variety of psychological sickness individuals have been coping with. Like in case you’ve been capable of push it down all of your life, COVID was the nice opener; it cracked open everyone. Some individuals wanted that. That album was my complete post-COVID remedy.
What position do you suppose music performs in serving to individuals get by means of tough conditions?
Jon Bryant: I believe with music, we’re getting into this new section of existence as human beings the place we’re confronted with both changing into extra human or much less human. You’ll be able to both keep human or you may advance on this like course that’s fully AI and also you don’t need to suppose anymore – you may simply let a bot do it for you. I believe for music, individuals are searching for a human connection. I believe that’s what it all the time has been, however we’ve kind of forgotten that. I believe the position of songwriters is to type of make sense of this loopy f*ed up state of affairs we’re discovering ourselves in proper now.
You latterly posted one thing about an AI band that acquired a variety of consideration.
Jon Bryant: It was an AI generated band that was generated a pair months in the past, and it got here throughout my Reddit feed. I did some research and found out it was a faux AI generated band that’s being profitable, and getting playlist precedence and taking playlist spots from human beings. And so I simply did a submit on it after which it turned essentially the most considered submit I ever posted by nearly one million and a half.
And did not someone create a faux account in your identify and message your spouse? Is it bizarre that you’ve got reached that stage of fame the place individuals are pretending to be you?
Jon Bryant: I’ve type of gotten used to the truth that there are scammers on the market, but it surely’s the diploma or the amount of scammers that has simply someway accelerated. It’s a bit infuriating, actually. There are about 70 to 80 on TikTok now, after which they’ll change the identify, discover a new account, do the identical factor over once more. And I get one or two individuals daily telling me about it.
Again to the music… I really like that you simply go from one thing like “Visiting Hours” to “Dolly.” Was that very intentional to create these kind of emotional peaks and valleys?
Jon Bryant: Yeah, all the time. And in my exhibits, it’s the identical factor. I attempt to make it a comedy present with like Shakespearean kind of emotion – betrayal and unhappiness, melancholy and love and all that.
You get your cash’s price at a John Bryant present. Is that what I am listening to?!
Jon Bryant: That’s it. I’m a solo artist, so I’m by myself up there. I really like the one-man band factor. However yeah, “Dolly” was only a enjoyable music. I used to be like, I want individuals to know that I’m not extremely depressed and that there’s hope for me.
He does smile. I can confirm that. “Dolly” is one in all my favourites, however there’s additionally a music that I wish to ask you about – “I Wanna Die in LA.” It sounds hopeful, but additionally a bit melancholy to me. And there’s this line about dreamers looking for their method. What’s the Jon Bryant dream?
Jon Bryant: Good query. I believed it was LA. Yeah, it’s humorous – after I wrote the music, all these items began occurring in LA that made me not wish to reside there anymore. I’ve all the time beloved being in LA and I nonetheless do, however when it comes to dwelling there, it’s simply modified a lot. And in order a music, it sits in an odd in-between of a dream I had and a dream I’m pleased to maneuver on from, too.
And the music could be interpreted in two methods in that some individuals after they’re there, they wish to die; they’re similar to, I hate this place. So, there’s an interpretation there that might be taken each positively and negatively. I’m type of neither now, so it doesn’t even really feel like my music in a roundabout way. That often occurs in some unspecified time in the future with songs years down the highway. This one, it was type of fast. I used to be like, ‘oh, perhaps I’m pleased to remain the place I’m at or to maneuver elsewhere. Possibly it’s not about LA. Possibly the dream of LA is elsewhere now.
I’ve heard a variety of artists say that after the music is out, it is now not theirs.
Jon Bryant: Yeah, it’s the world’s and in case you write from an trustworthy place, it’s onerous to take credit score for lots of the songs. Generally it doesn’t really feel such as you labored on it – it feels considerably like an thought got here out and also you’re simply fortunate to have the language to interpret it.
What do you hope individuals take away out of your music?
Jon Bryant: Nicely, I believe with the final file and type of falling in step with that, simply that life is brief and embrace these connections you’ve gotten and cherish them. I all the time say that at exhibits, too. Simply name your mates that you simply haven’t talked to shortly and join. I hope it reinforces outdated connections and creates good connections. I believe that’s what you need music to do. I really feel very lucky and fortunate to get to assist individuals type of get by means of life and make sense of their feelings.
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:: stream/buy Remedy Notes right here ::
:: join with Jon Bryant right here ::
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