Jeremy Craig Shaules, better known as Jeremy Jay, is an American alternative pop musician and singer-songwriter. He has released five critically acclaimed studio albums, including his debut album ''

A Place Where We Could Go ''A Place Where We Could Go'' is the first album by Jeremy Jay, released by K Records. It was produced by K founder and former Beat Happening frontman Calvin Johnson. It was well received by Pitchfork. In his review, Marc Hogan compared him to ...

'' in 2008 and ''

Slow Dance A slow dance is a type of partner dance in which a couple dance slowly, swaying to the music. This is usually done to very slow-beat songs, namely sentimental ballads. Slow dancing can refer to any slow couple dance (such as certain ballroom d ...

'' in 2009.

History

Jay was born in

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista ( ; , ) is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It is the second-most populous city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the Largest cities in Southern California, seventh-most populous city in Southern California ...

on January 1, 1978 and soon moved to

Harbor City, Los Angeles Harbor City is a highly diverse neighborhood in the South Bay and Harbor region of Los Angeles, California, with a population upward of 36,000 people. Originally part of the Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant, the Harbor City was brought in ...

. Jeremy spoke only French with his American father until he was 13. When he was in the second grade, his father moved the family to

Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...

where Jay lived until he was 18. In the sixth grade, his aunt gave him the sheet music for "La Bamba." He taught himself how to play the music on a school guitar where he was playing trumpet in the band. In 8th grade, he set up a recording studio in his garage to create music using a two track recorder. At the same time, he began writing his own music. At age 18 he moved to

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

where he lived for four years and worked as a theater projectionist. In 2001, at age 23 he met

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Megatron" after the ''Transforme ...

, a musician, producer and founder of

K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...

. Johnson was immediately interested Jay's self-produced maxi single, "Dreamland," only containing instrumental pieces. Jay moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 2005 and moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 2009 with a record deal from the label Differant. In 2011, he moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

where he currently resides. His first release on K Records, the ''

Airwalker ''Airwalker'' is the debut release by Jeremy Jay on K Records. The EP included two covers: '" Lunar Camel" by Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist S ...

'' EP, appeared in 2007. It included a cover of the

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...

song " Lunar Camel" and a version of Blondie's "Angels on the Balcony".Airwalker vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records website. Retrieved 13-8-2015 The EP was described by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' as a "cryptic, compelling short" with "half-crooned, half-spoken vocals into a bed of interlocking guitars, rigid beats, and analogue synths, creating an air of mystery out of disconnected images." Jay's first full-length, ''

'', followed in 2008. It was recorded in Olympia, Washington at Dub Narcotic studios.A Place Where We Could Go vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records shop online. Retrieved 13-8-2015

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

described his singing as a mix of

Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

and

Alan Vega Alan Bermowitz (June 23, 1938–July 16, 2016), known professionally as Alan Vega, was an American vocalist and visual artist, primarily known for his work with the electronic proto-punk duo Suicide. Life and career Alan Bermowitz was raise ...

. A video for "Beautiful Rebel" directed by Austin Lovell was shot at the

Griffith Park Observatory Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California, on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the sout ...

in Los Angeles. A video for "Heavenly Creatures" directed by Bryce Kass of Daft Arts was hailed by ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...

''.

In 2009, Jay released ''

'',Slow Dance vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records. Retrieved 15-8-2015 which was critically acclaimed by ''Pitchfork'' for its "frail ingeniousness" with "a warm inviting space". To promote the release, he embarked on a tour throughout the year, including dates at the

Primavera Festival Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish noise bands", origin ...

. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' wrote that Jay's "biggest asset" is songs that "appear to come unpremeditated from his heart" like

Jonathan Richman Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic an ...

. Critic James Robinson added, "In a world where we've become suspicious of singer-songwriters, Jay gives us reason to keep the faith". After playing in the UK, Jay moved to London and started working on new material. In 2010, Jay described his third album, '' Splash'',Splash vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records. Retrieved 15-8-2015 as " Pavement meets ''

Evol EvoL (Korean: ) was a five-member South Korean girl group under the label Stardom Entertainment. They released their debut EP and music video for the track "We Are a Bit Different (우린 좀 달라; ''Urin Jom Dalla'')" on August 10, 2012. I ...

''-era

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

played by

Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), better known by her stage name Siouxsie Sioux (, ), is an English singer and songwriter. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who w ...

." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' welcomed tracks like "As You Look over the City" and "Hologram Feather" and the "jaunty" single "Just Dial my Number". The cover image of ''Splash'' showed him at

Jardin du Luxembourg The Jardin du Luxembourg (), known in English as the Luxembourg Garden, colloquially referred to as the Jardin du Sénat (Senate Garden), is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. The creation of the garden began in 1612 when Mar ...

in Paris. The record was released at the end of May. A tour was later cancelled due to health problems. In the spring of 2011, Jay returned with the album ''

Dream Diary A dream diary or dream journal is a diary in which dream experiences are recorded. A dream diary might include a record of nightly dreams, personal reflections and waking dream experiences. It is often used in the study of dreams and psychology. ...

'',Dream Diary vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015 which was a mix of indie-pop and alt-rock.Bevan, David
''Dream Diary'' review
Pitchforkmedia.com. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 10-8-2015 The result was compared to Scottish band

Belle and Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released twelve studio albums. They are often compared with acts such as the Smiths and Nick Drake. The band took their name from ...

. Jay financed the album entirely on his own for the first time, to spend more time on the mixing; the two previous albums had been recorded with full support of K Records.Thomas Bartel
Jeemy Jay interview
Magicrpm.com. 11/26/2013. Retrieved 15-8-2015 In 2013, Jay composed the song "Ghost Tracks" for the soundtrack of the film '' Grand Central''. 2014's '' Abandoned Apartments''Abandoned Apartments vinyl and cd available by mail order
. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015 got a four-star review on Allmusic for its "dreamy surrealism and crisp-edged pop". Its title evokes a time when Jay was 20 years old and was looking for empty buildings in Portland to settle. After releasing this album, Jay worked as a producer on Spanish singer Bigott's album, ''Pavement Tree''. He then collaborated with other musicians. In November, he formed the band Dyspotian Violet with several musicians including bassist Frank Wright. They released three songs, including "The Mask",Jeremy Jay A new band and a new Album
Magicrpm.com. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 15-8-2015 via

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. The band then changed its name to Invisible Foxx. In March and April 2015, Jay recorded with them. In May, Invisible Foxx released their album online, ''Monitor Mixx'', via

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

: After these collaborations, a few new tracks by Jay were released on digital download via Mystery at the end of that year. In 2017, he performed at the

Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. In May 2018, Jay released the album ''Demons'' via Spanish label "El Segell Del Primavera" : ''Demons'' featured ten tracks and was also issued on Vinyl LP.''Demons'' 2018 LP available on vinyl
on Juno records website. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
''Demons'' 2018 LP available on vinyl
on Fiveriserecords. Retrieved 2 June 2018.

Discography

Albums

* ''

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Splash'' (2010) * ''

'' (2011) * '' Abandoned Apartments'' (2014) * ''Demons'' (2018) * ''Dangerous Boys'' (2019) *''Devils Daughters'' (2021)

Singles and EPs

* "Dreamland" (EP), 22 May 2007 * ''

'' (EP), 2007 * "We were There" (7"), 4 September 2007 * "Love Everlasting" (vinyl, four songs), 20 January 2009 * "Breaking the Ice" (7"), 8 September 2009 * "Just Dial my Number" (7" 45 rpm on Sexbeat label), 2010 * "

Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured in the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the s ...

" (digital download), 11 October 2010 * "Covered in Ivy" b/w "Situations Said" (digital download), 20 August 2013 * "Sentimental Expressway" b/w "Later that Night" (digital download), 1 October 2013 * "Hallways and Splattered Paintings" b/w "Window Painted Black" (digital download), 7 August 2014"Hallways and Splattered Paintings" b/w "Window Painted Black - digital download
Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015 * "High Note" (digital download), 10-2-2015"High Note" - digital download
Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015 * "Demons" (digital download), 7 April 2017"Demons" - digital download
Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-4-2017

Other appearances

* "Prudence" (for the soundtrack of ''

Belle Épine ''Dear Prudence'' (; ) is a 2010 French drama film and the directorial debut of Rebecca Zlotowski. The film stars Léa Seydoux, Anaïs Demoustier, Agathe Schlenker, Johan Libéreau and Guillaume Gouix. It premiered in the Critics' Week section a ...

'') (2010) * "Ghost Tracks" (for the soundtrack of '' Grand Central'') (2013)

References

External links

Official siteJeremy Jay's vinyls and cds available online on K Records websiteSoundcloud Jeremy Jay officialInvisible Foxx (featuring Jeremy Jay) site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jay, Jeremy Living people American male singer-songwriters American indie rock musicians Singer-songwriters from California 1978 births