Oxford indie pop-rock outfit Jody and the Jerms have a summer surprise for the world – their new single ‘Liberation’, which was produced, mixed and mastered by RIDE frontman Mark Gardener at his OX4 Sound studio near Oxford.
On ‘Liberation’, Jody and the Jerms get into the summer groove with a 3-minute stomp that sees the Oxford band push on from their jangle pop roots. With vocals to the fore, buoyed by the addition of new Jerm Salma Craig on backing vocals, the song is awash with Wah, Hammond and shaker to get the audience moving as they continue their 48-date summer UK tour and multiple festival appearances.
Now that the dust has settled on April’s release of their third album ‘Wonder’ and latest single ‘Intuition’, the sweet taste of ‘Liberation’ powers the band forward, recalling the killer riffs, sass and harmonies of the B-52s in the embrace of the Jerms’ own trademark twists and warm production.
An insanely upbeat and empowering song, ‘Liberation’ is about how the good times make you feel alive and free – and how you want that positivity to last forever.
“A lot of our songs from the two latest albums, ‘Flicker’ and ‘Wonder’, have been called bittersweet – but ‘Liberation’ is something completely different. It’s about how you feel when things are going well, the euphoria you feel, which can be hard to explain or even understand, and the excitement of what comes next,” says frontwoman Jody Jeger.
Niall Jeger adds, “The whole song has a different sound to previous Jerms songs. We played around with different guitar and synth sounds, and also went big on the three-part harmonies that were a lot of fun to record. We had a very productive, creative and happy day in the studio which matches the lyrical themes of ‘Liberation'”.
Championed by the late Janice Long at BBC, among others, Jody and the Jerms is a collective revolving around Jody Jeger (vocals) and Niall Jeger (guitars and vocals) with other band members coming from The Anydays, who have graced the pages of NME, played with Radiohead and Supergrass, and were featured on Mark Radcliffe at BBC Radio 2.
Jody and the Jerms create endearing jangle-pop songs that are both evocative and relatable. Formed in Oxford in 2019, they have been writing, recording and performing their blend of melodic and uplifting indie/ alt rock ever since, having enjoyed national airtime on Radio X (UK), Sirius XM (USA) and RTVE (Spain), as well as BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, BBC Wales and BBC Ulster.
On working with the Jerms, Mark Gardener notes, “In a great way, the music and the people take me to a place and time where music and life felt easier, fresh and less complicated. There is a simple purity, real heart and soul, plus earworm catchy-as-hell tunes in all they do. Always a warm glow pleasure that never felt like hard work or ‘trying to split the atom’ when there’s absolutely no need to as soon as they start playing in the studio we’re back off to that lovely space again.”
As of July 12, ‘Liberation’ is available from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where their latest ‘Wonder’ LP can also be ordered on limited edition CD and pink vinyl. Jody and the Jerms are currently touring the UK in support of this release. Tickets are available at https://jodyandthejerms.com/live
TOUR DATES
July 15 BRIDPORT – Jurassic Fields @2:30pm
July 16 ALDERSHOT – West End Centre (for Westival) @3pm
July 22 GUILDFORD – Guildford Beer Festival @7pm
Aug 5 GLOUCESTER – Millwood Cam Festival @7pm
Aug 11 SHREWSBURY – Farmer Phil’s Festival @4:30pm
Aug 31 BLANFORD – Hall & Woodhead @7pm
Sept. 1 WALLINGFORD, OXON – BunkFest Fringe @7pm
Sept. 16 SWINDON – Swindon Arts Centre @9pm
Sept. 24 FARINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE – Great Barn Festival @7:15pm
-Official bio
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