Dreaming Up Danceable Catharsis with JJ & The Mood’s Debut Single “How Many Times” - (2/10/2021)
Cincinnati & Los Angeles based duo JJ & The Mood release their debut song “How Many Times” via Trailing Twelve Records on February 10th.
Trailing Twelve Records presents JJ & The Mood: the alt-disco collaboration between Los Angeles-based multi-hyphenate cartoonist Jack Sjogren and Cincinnati-based songwriter & producer Joey Joesph. Bonded by a shared hometown and enthusiasm for big-sounding music, JJ & The Mood draw upon a relatable story of adolescence that morphs into a celebration of the present moment.
JJ & The Mood, as a duo, is connected at two points. Sjogren, known for his work as a cartoonist, author, and animator, has been lauded by Oprah's Book Club (Things I’d Do), Bustle, Real Simple, and celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Growing up the son of two pastors, Sjogren is no stranger to sharing openly and honestly with complete strangers. “I don’t subscribe to any specific dogma anymore, but I still try to imbue radical love into everything I make,” says Sjogren. Joesph fka Joey Cook, known as one of the founding members of the late aughts indie-pop band Pomegranates, has been self-producing records via their home studio, The Eyebrow Palace, since 2014. Sjogren and Joesph originally met in Orlando, Florida but it wasn’t until years later, during an autumn 2019 session at The Eyebrow Palace, that they started laying the groundwork for what would become JJ & The Mood.
As Sjogren tells it, the hook of “How Many Times” was written in traffic after a therapy session. “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 speak-sings playful inquiries including “how many shakes can my booty do?” and “how many friends can I make tonight?”
Four-on-the-floor kickdrum and leathery bass lay a steady foundation as Sjogren shares a vulnerable and humorous coming-of-age tale. “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 of the honest and autobiographical nature of the lyrics.
The duo takes an unassuming groove and morphs it into a swirling kaleidoscope of modern disco-pop, arriving at a refrain of encouragement and catharsis: “Dance ‘till you forgive yourself / Time to make it right.” The sentiment presents an opportunity to let loose and feel free to be our true selves. Ultimately “How Many Times” is a reflection on the good times, while turning to the present and asking ourselves “How many times have I felt this good?” Sjogren shares some additional perspective on the question, “what I love about the question is that there is a real number, whether we know it or not. The answer, realistically, is probably like 15 or 20.”
“How Many Times” is out February 10th via Trailing Twelve.
Written and Recorded by Joey Joesph and Jack Sjogren, Trailing Twelve (ASCAP)
Performed By JJ & The Mood, Trailing Twelve (ASCAP)
Background Vocals by Emily Henry
Artwork By Joey Joesph and Jack Sjogren
TTRS046
© & ℗ 2021 Trailing Twelve Records. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Copying, Reproduction, Hiring, Lending, Public Performance, And Broadcasting Strictly Prohibited.
JJ& The Mood - How Many Times
TTRS-046
Released 10 February 2021
Length: 05:30
BIO
JJ & The Mood is a disco-pop duo comprised of Los Angeles-based cartoonist Jack Sjogren and Cincinnati-based songwriter & producer Joey Joesph.
Drawing from musical influences spanning Talking Heads, ESG, and Liquid Liquid, the duo’s palette features varying shades of soul, disco, indie pop, and gospel - cohesively held together by Sjogren’s playful vocal energy and Joesph’s warm and spirited production.
Sjogren and Joesph originally met in Orlando, Florida but it wasn’t until years later, during an autumn 2019 session at The Eyebrow Palace, that they started laying the groundwork for what would become JJ & The Mood.