Jamie Bernstein pens a love letter to his beloved New Orleans stomping grounds in his heavenly new single Not A City, A Star — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
Sweet, simple, soothing and sincere in a way that far too few songs are these day, the latest solo release from the Future Cowboys member proves that less can really be more. Accompanied only by some softly strummed, casually chiming guitars, Bernstein’s richly reverberating baritone paints a loving portrait of his adopted home:
“Your streetcar wakes me up at night
Even when I’m nowhere near the line
And I miss the way you held me tight
Whispered lies with your breath of wine
You’re not a city, you are lying
You’re not for everyone, you’re dying all the time
You’ve got a gravity that proves just what you are
You’re not a city, you’re a star.”
Speaking of stars: When Bernstein learned that legendary producer Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, U2) wanted to record an album on a sailboat, he leapt at the chance. In June 2024, Jamie and his guitar joined Howard and Capt. Johnny O’Brien aboard the Zeus in the Bahamas, spending a week sailing the Sea of Abaco. Each night, they anchored in quiet, hidden coves to record his songs, embracing the natural soundscape — wind, waves and occasional rain—which subtly wove into the tracks. These raw, unedited takes, free from AI or auto-tuning, capture an honest moment in Bernstein’s musical journey, rooted in his personal recovery and transformation. The name of the upcoming album? Zeus, of course.
Raised in rural West Virginia, Jamie grew up immersed in folk, reggae, and “old-timey” music, a legacy of his mother’s influence and the era’s mix tapes. Moving to New Orleans in 1996, he found new inspiration in the city’s jazz and funk, expanding from spoken word into music production and creating four albums, two with his band J The Savage. Now, with his current project Future Cowboys, Jamie’s sound blends pop and Americana, drawing from his eclectic influences and life in New Orleans, where he resides with his wife, artist Muffin Bernstein.
Check out Not A City, A Star above and below, and follow Jamie Bernstein on Facebook and Instagram.
