alt-J frontman Joe Newman has gone solo with an equally weird-but-catchy name, JJerome87.
Newman has signed with Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group and is hard at work on a “forthcoming full-length project,” according to a press release. Our first taste of said project comes with Newman’s debut solo single, “Brush Me Like A Horse.” Recorded alongside producer Carlos De La Garza (Paramore, Bad Religion), the song is described as having been “infused with the energy of Motown, blues, and gospel,” and with firmly Californian vibes to boot. Fans of alt-J will certainly find something to love, that’s for sure.
“[‘Brush Me Like A Horse’] is the story of a man slowly turning into a horse,” Newman said in a statement. “This metamorphosis has the world around him forgetting who he is as people begin to care for him more and more like a horse. This song was inspired partly by something I’d seen a friend go through. They didn’t turn into a horse, but their reputation went through a metamorphosis.”
Newman will play this single (alongside other, unspecified tunes) during his debut solo performance on Tuesday, February 17th at Los Angeles’ Sid The Cat Auditorium. Head here for tickets and more info.
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As for alt-J, the band’s been semi-inactive in recent years. They released their fourth album, The Dream, in February 2022. Then, in summer 2023, they played a series of dates behind the 10th anniversary of their debut record, 2012’s excellent An Awesome Wave.