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 personal journal.
Stream: ‘Remedy Notes’ – Jon Bryant
Listening to a Jon Bryant album can really feel like eavesdropping on a personal remedy session – besides you’re welcome to remain, really feel, and perhaps breathe a bit simpler.
His newest document, 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 extensive 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 large methods – he’s about to develop 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 tougher, not simpler. “I’ve to cease having expectations about what I feel 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 not too long ago 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 at all times been deeply private, however tracks like “Finest Half” and “Visiting Hours” go a step additional, wrestling brazenly with mortality and remorse. The latter was written the day earlier than Bryant fulfilled a dying lady’s last want by taking part in a home live performance in her honor. Co-written with a pal whose personal husband was unknowingly dealing with terminal most cancers, the tune 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 every little thing 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 facet of on-line fame, what his future youngster would possibly consider his music… and the way, by 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 undoubtedly making it tougher as a result of it’s like I’m attempting on a brand new id in a approach 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 form of difficult to jot down songs from that perspective. I’ve to cease having expectations about what I feel it’s and simply faucet into what’s going on proper now, which is simply chaotic. It’s onerous to search out that area and time in my thoughts.
Do you begin serious about the lyrics, the messages or the tales you wish to inform based mostly in your youngster listening to these songs?
Jon Bryant: Yeah, I feel so. I need them to love my music sometime. They’ll hate it. They’ll in all probability assume it’s cringe, I’m positive, once they flip 14. I didn’t essentially love the music my dad listened to once 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 keen on Southern gospel and, he preferred Il Devo. And my mother preferred listening to Fleetwood Mac and the cooler music, I consider the 70s, Corridor and Oates. And so I received a bit into that stuff, however I rebelled and went to punk and steel and like Rage In opposition to the Machine. However then, I got here again to some cool gospel music. So yeah, I wouldn’t say I liked it once I was a teen, however I’ve come to understand a whole lot of it.
I noticed that you simply had been simply in Mexico Metropolis for a songwriter’s workshop. Rose Betts was additionally there, whom I am keen on. Are you able to inform me about that?
Jon Bryant: I am keen on Rose as properly. It was superb. I received in late on a Thursday evening 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 received a extremely lovely tune. I used to be simply chatting together with her as we speak. We completed the tune that we began, completed earlier as we speak. And yeah, she’s a beautiful, beautiful human.
I 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 appreciate life’s too brief to waste on closing doorways” and “I am bored with my bullsh*t / bored with my bluffs.” What sort of soul-searching was happening to make that tune occur?
Jon Bryant: It’s humorous how that that tune got here collectively – it simply type of got here out at some point. I used to be simply taking part in round with this actually easy chord development, and it simply type of got here out multi functional piece. To be sincere, 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 sincere tune I feel I’ve ever put out.
Your whole songs appear deeply private and really sincere. How do you determine what to share and what to maintain to your self?
Jon Bryant: I do know this songwriter who informed 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 approach to pull again on a few of the stuff that’s a bit too jarring and private, you will get to a spot at a tune the place it’s precisely what the world wants to listen to. It’s a high quality line.
“Visiting Hours” looks as if a really private tune. Do you wish to speak about that one? You do not have to in case you do not wish to.
Jon Bryant: Yeah, completely. It was proper across the time once I received requested to play somebody’s, principally for somebody’s demise mattress in Dallas. It was for a TikTok/Instagram physician’s instructor from Med faculty. She was dying of breast most cancers.
Her and her husband hosted home concert events for years and she or he had a want checklist of artists, like a moonshot checklist of artists that she would like to have play – Bob Dylan, Ben Folds, a number of different artists after which me. I had about 1,000 individuals message me in at some point 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 attempting 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 pal Scott [Effman] and Rosi [Golan]. We wrote that tune. After which I went and performed the present. However I didn’t know till a bit later that Rosi, the co-writer of that tune, her husband, three weeks later, received identified with a really aggressive most cancers. He handed away eight months later, and it was principally every week earlier than we launched the tune. In order that tune simply hits differently. It’s all about embracing the very restricted time we’ve 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” form of factor and I used to be questioning the place that was coming from. Is that one thing you consider loads?
Jon Bryant: Oh, I give it some thought loads. I’m simply cognizant of how fragile life is, I feel whenever 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 attempting 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 whenever you begin actually listening to the lyrics, it sounds prefer it may very well be a remedy session.
Jon Bryant: I’d do remedy, nevertheless it’s costly. So music and writing turned it for me and post-COVID, there was a whole lot of psychological sickness individuals had been coping with. Like in case you’ve been in a position to push it down all of your life, COVID was the good opener; it cracked open everyone. Some individuals wanted that. That album was my complete post-COVID remedy.
What function do you assume music performs in serving to individuals get by tough conditions?
Jon Bryant: I feel with music, we’re getting into this new part of existence as human beings the place we’re confronted with both turning into extra human or much less human. You possibly can both keep human or you may advance on this like route that’s utterly AI and also you don’t should assume anymore – you may simply let a bot do it for you. I feel for music, persons are in search of a human connection. I feel that’s what it at all times has been, however we’ve type of forgotten that. I feel the function of songwriters is to form 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 received a whole lot 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 discovered it was a pretend AI generated band that’s making a living, 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 virtually one million and a half.
And did not any individual create a pretend account in your identify and message your spouse? Is it bizarre that you’ve got reached that degree of fame the place persons are pretending to be you?
Jon Bryant: I’ve form of gotten used to the truth that there are scammers on the market, nevertheless it’s the diploma or the amount of scammers that has simply in some way 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 on daily basis telling me about it.
Again to the music… I like that you simply go from one thing like “Visiting Hours” to “Dolly.” Was that very intentional to create these type of emotional peaks and valleys?
Jon Bryant: Yeah, at all times. And in my reveals, it’s the identical factor. I attempt to make it a comedy present with like Shakespearean type of emotion – betrayal and unhappiness, despair and love and all that.
You get your cash’s value 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 like the one-man band factor. However yeah, “Dolly” was only a enjoyable tune. I used to be like, I would like 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 considered one of my favourites, however there’s additionally a tune that I wish to ask you about – “I Wanna Die in LA.” It sounds hopeful, but in addition a bit melancholy to me. And there’s this line about dreamers looking for their approach. What’s the Jon Bryant dream?
Jon Bryant: Good query. I believed it was LA. Yeah, it’s humorous – after I wrote the tune, all these things began taking place in LA that made me not wish to reside there anymore. I’ve at all times liked being in LA and I nonetheless do, however by way of residing there, it’s simply modified a lot. And in order a tune, it sits in a wierd in-between of a dream I had and a dream I’m glad to maneuver on from, too.
And the tune might be interpreted in two methods in that some individuals once they’re there, they wish to die; they’re identical to, I hate this place. So, there’s an interpretation there that may very well be taken each positively and negatively. I’m form of neither now, so it doesn’t even really feel like my tune in a roundabout way. That normally occurs sooner or later with songs years down the highway. This one, it was form of fast. I used to be like, ‘oh, perhaps I’m glad to remain the place I’m at or to maneuver some place else. Perhaps it’s not about LA. Perhaps the dream of LA is some place else now.
I’ve heard a whole lot of artists say that after the tune is out, it is now not theirs.
Jon Bryant: Yeah, it’s the world’s and in case you write from an sincere 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 concept 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: Properly, I feel with the final document and form of falling according to that, simply that life is brief and embrace these connections you’ve gotten and cherish them. I at all times say that at reveals, too. Simply name your pals that you simply haven’t talked to shortly and join. I hope it reinforces previous connections and creates good connections. I feel that’s what you need music to do. I really feel very lucky and fortunate to get to assist individuals form of get by 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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