“Dance ‘till you forgive yourself, Time to make it right” — it’s the new single from JJ & The Mood
You know that feeling you get after finding out some good news; or when you find $20 in an old jacket you haven’t worn in a while? That moment when you are like “yes,” and the universe just seems to be on your side. That’s the feeling you get when you listen to the new single from indie-pop disco cowboys, JJ & The Mood.
The song is called “How Many Times” and it features a driving kickdrum, a leathery bassline and a 70s-era disco guitar riff. Around 3 minutes in, the song’s groove catapults into a dancefloor banger that is reminiscent an early LCD Soundsystem track or something from the Talking Heads. The lighthearted sing-along lyrics tell a vulnerable but proudly nerdy coming-of-age story while the beat is bringing home the party.
“’How Many Times’ was written in traffic after a therapy session,” admits vocalist Jack Sjogren when talking about the hook. “I was suddenly struck by how light I felt, even amidst a gridlock of cars.” This sense of lightness can be felt in the earliest vocal moments of the song, as Sjogren playfully speak-sings “how many shakes can my booty do?” and “how many friends can I make tonight?”
“As a tall, straight, cis-gendered white man, I have a duty to let down my walls and give my inherited systemic power to the listener and anyone who feels disempowered by a system designed with only my best interests in mind,” Sjogren says explains.
Towards the end of the track, the song lands on an encouraging refrain: “Dance ‘till you forgive yourself / Time to make it right.” It’s all about letting loose and feeling free to be our true selves. It’s a reflection on the good times, while turning to the present and asking ourselves “How many times have I felt this good?”
“What I love about this question,” says Sjorgen “is that there is a real number, whether we know it or not. The answer, realistically, is probably like 15 or 20.”
Songwriter and producer Joey Joesph originally met Jack Sjogren in Orlando, Florida. Sjogren was known for his work as a cartoonist, author, and animator. His work has been celebrated by Oprah’s Book Club (Things I’d Do), Bustle, Real Simple, and celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson! “I don’t subscribe to any specific dogma anymore, but I still try to imbue radical love into everything I make,” says Sjogren.
Joesph (aka Joey Cook), was known as one of the founding members of the late aughts indie-pop band Pomegranates. He has been self-producing records via their home studio, The Eyebrow Palace, since 2014.
Years later, during an autumn 2019 session at The Eyebrow Palace, Joesph and Sjogren started laying the groundwork for what would become JJ & The Mood. “How Many Times” celebrates the duo’s debut. Can’t wait to hear what else comes out of this interesting collaboration.
JJ & The Mood – How Many TimesArtwork By Joey Joesph and Jack Sjogren
