JJ Sweetheart gets up-close and personal in his own special way with his new Valentine’s Day EP Big Things — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Everybody knows love songs are a dime a dozen on Feb. 14. But let’s face it: Most of them are about as original, thoughtful and impersonal as grocery-store roses. From cutesey-poo pop fluff to earnest proclamations of undying devotion, from soulful boudoir come-ons to heartbroken laments, it’s all been done. At least, that’s what I thought until I heard this.
Hailing from Minneapolis, JJ is not your usual Valentine’s date. And with Big Things, he’s not showing up at your front door in a tuxedo with a bouquet, a bottle of bubbly and a heart-shaped box of sugary sweets. In fact, he isn’t really showing up at all. You probably don’t even know him. But he knows you. He saw you that day — maybe in the coffeeshop, maybe on the bus, maybe just on the street. He was too shy to talk to you. So he started writing songs for you on his phone. He recorded them anywhere and everywhere: At home, in the car, out in a field.
Needless to say, they’re not slick, sophisticated creations like the ones you hear on the radio. These are home-made crafts: Eccentric and ramshackle, jerry-rigged and meandering. They have titles like Feral Feelings, Too The Grave and Heart Medal. They’ve been assembled from jangly reverberating guitars and ghostly, murky vocals that move from earnest revelations to soul-baring howls. Sometimes these songs sound like a radio station that isn’t quite tuned in properly. Other times they sound like someone playing a boombox at the other end of an empty pool in the dark. Truth be told, it’s hard to make out the words he’s singing. But it’s clear he’s saying all the things he wishes he could tell you in person if he could.
After he finished these songs, he put them on a cassette with a cover he made himself. Then he took it to your house — don’t think about how he got your address; you don’t want to know — put it in your mailbox, rang the bell and dashed away. Don’t be scared; he won’t bother you again. He just wanted you to know how he feels. And he hopes that maybe you turn out the lights, listen to this and think about him sometimes. You know he’ll be thinking about you.
Please allow him to introduce himself: JJ Sweetheart — real name: Jay Simonson — is a lo-fi / psychedelic / dreampop musician freshly arisen from the ashes of his former projects in the Twin Citites scene. Hatched from the creative mind of the former France Camp frontman and Howler bassist, this solo project is a mellow, explorative expansion into songwriting. JJ taps into an intimacy similar to early Alex G, while staying true to the pop-driven vocal hooks of his former projects. Sun-kissed guitars reminiscent of ’60s psych-rock groups like 13th Floor Elevators draw you in, then slap you with reverb-soaked distortion. The lyrics are heartfelt and romantic, while touching on subjects of self-growth, mental health and the yearning crush of young love. He records everything with the microphone on his iPhone, with the help of a free app. Vocals are recorded either in his car, in the desert, or in a nice open field to avoid noise complaints in his apartment complex. JJ likes the energy and the challenge of it all. What comes together at the end is a suprisingly cohesive EP with warm fuzzy textures and raw vocals that feel personal.
Over his 15-year career, JJ has accumulated more than three million streams. In Howler, he toured with The Vaccines across 10 countries, including France, Brazil and Japan. With France Camp, he opened for Fidlar and Thee Oh Sees. JJ has also written songs for TV shows, commercials and the soundtrack for a kids’ show. He will be touring the West Coast in spring.
Check out Big Things below and follow JJ Sweetheart on Instagram. Don’t worry; he won’t make it weird.
