Brian Clark, lead guitar; Rudy Dauth, bass; Phil Carr, drums; Ron Rost, piano and organ; Mia Adams, sweet harmony
Influences
Mary Gauthier, Bruce Springsteen, Mose Allison, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon,
Bill Frisell, The Melvins, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, My Mother, Boubacar Traore, Thomas Mapfumo, Danny Elfman/Oingo Boingo, Shannon, The Planets
Sounds Like
"...A rare songwriter, bold and emotional without ever coming across overwrought. His songs are infectious, they get in your blood and make their way to the heart before you notice what's happening." Anais Mitchell, Recording Artist, Righteous Babe Records
"The title cut is my personal favorite, with mild undertones of Gimme Fiction-era Spoon... he has a similar knack for airtight, minimalist pop hooks... Jay Ekis has taken great strides toward cementing his place among the state’s stoutest songwriters." Dan Bolles, Seven Days
"Best Rock Album of 2009" Art Edelstein, The Times Argus
Singer/songwriter and guitarist, Jay Ekis, makes his home in Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont. Though born in the beautiful state of Wyoming he has adopted the native culture with surprising ease. Taken to Subarus and leftist leanings, Jay rides confidently the well-worn trails through the American musical landscape and cuts his own path with songs inspired by personal heartbreaks and triumphs as well as focusing on questions of global social concerns like "why are we still bombing the crap out of innocent people." With a touch of black humor, Jay's songs are melodic, dark, revealing, and even optimistic.
The Hidden Jar, Ekis' debut album, showcases a youthfulness in songs like "Outside of Town" and "Remember When," which tells the story of life lessons learned from a visitor from a distant planet. The listener also gets a glimpse into the introspective Ekis with "Angel," a country flavored song about a man overcoming fears to find love.
In November Ekis will release his second album "Touched By War." Digging deep into tales of conflict and inspired by the country-noir of Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" and Mary Gauthier's "Mercy Now," the new album stretches from rock to (alt-)country to express the joy and frustration of life in the 21st century.
In the mean time you can get your Ekis fix with the ever-popular Super Gold Sing-Along hosted by Jay at The Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier. With a set list of up to 200 songs all the lyrics printed out for sharing, and a full house of rowdy singers ready to belt out Queen, Journey, and Neil Diamond, how can you go wrong? Also keep your eyes open for Jay playing guitar in one of his various side projects: Made In Iron, a tribute band to the heavy metal legends Iron Maiden; Sputnik, Vermont's original 80's cover band featuring the vocal talent of Anais Mitchell, Sarah Grace, and Noah Hahn; Kufui, a prog-metal trio featuring the brain-tapping technique of bassist Jessy Gile. The most recent endeavor, Movement of the People, is a 14-piece tribute to the music of revolutionary Nigerian musician/composer/bandleader Fela Kuti.
All of these groups can be seen at venues in and around New England. Check out the calendar for a listing near you.
