Dora Jar

Dora Jarkowski (born October 12, 1996), known professionally as Dora Jar, is an American bedroom pop musician from Northern California. Jar has released a studio album, two extended plays and three singles as of 2024, and has been listed on Vogue's "22 Rising Musicians Set To Rule 2022" and Alternative Press's "Rising Artists", among others.

Early life

Jar was born in New York City on October 12, 1996, and was raised in Northern California, where Jar attended a small Episcopal school. Her older sister Lueza, who had cerebral palsy, passed away in 2011. Jar subsequently went to boarding school at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, graduating in 2015. She began her studies at a music school in Boston, but withdrew after a couple of months. She subsequently had stints living in New York, London, and Poland, where she has a paternal family.

Career

Jar released her debut extended play (EP), titled ''Digital Meadow'', in 2021. The EP is a seven-song collection of her signature dreamy, surrealist pop and silky, ethereal voice. It was produced alongside composer Solomonphonic. On the song “Scab Song,” Jar notes that she wrote it when she was 19, and on her way to Solomon's house to complete the track, had decided to speed it up as an ode to the way music can make one's heart beat faster. Digital Meadow included collaborators like Solomonophonic, Felix Joseph, Ralph Castelli, Vron and John DeBold.

Jar opened for The Neighbourhood's 2021 tour.

Jar released ''Comfortably In Pain,'' her second EP, in 2022. The EP received praise from critics at Pitchfork, NPR, and other publications, describing her flickering vocals and rock-pop to the likes of Faye Webster and St. Vincent.

Later that year, she appeared at The Great Escape festival and opened multiple dates of Billie Eilish's 2022 Happier Than Ever, The World Tour. In the summer of 2022, she signed to the Island Records imprint of Universal Music.

She released three singles, "Bumblebee", "Bump", and "Spell", before she announced her first North American, twelve-city-headlining tour. A music video was released for "Bump," which was directed by Jocelyn Antequil and plays with an ''Alice in Wonderland'' motif.

Jar has been listed on Vogue's "22 Rising Musicians Set To Rule 2022" and Alternative Press's "Rising Artists", among others.

In August 2023, Jar was announced as the supporting act for the North American leg of The 1975's 2023/24 concert tour, Still... At Their Very Best.

In July 2024, Jar announced her debut studio album ''No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire'' alongside the snippet for its fourth single "Ragdoll". ''No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire'' was released on September 13 with its accompanying "Behind The Curtain Tour" with support from The Army, The Navy commencing shortly after.

Artistry

Regarding influences, Jar said, "everything from my childhood is a reference point". She called the musical theater she grew up around due to her mother, particularly Stephen Sondheim, a "staple in my sound". Meanwhile, her father would play The Beatles in the car; Jar praised the band's "confidence in the nonsensical". Outkast's ''ATLiens'' (1996) was the first album Jar purchased, while her first live music experience was a Foo Fighters concert. She cited a particular love for the latter's ''In Your Honor'' (2005) album and learned guitar playing their songs. In addition to Foo Fighters, she remembers "obsessing over" Gwen Stefani and Mary J. Blige.

A number of musicians such as Conan Gray and Remi Wolf cite Jar as a prominent influence in their work.

Discography

Studio Albums
* ''No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire'' (September 13, 2024)
EPs
* ''Digital Meadow'' (May 28, 2021)
* ''comfortably in pain'' (March 4, 2022)

Tours

Headlining

* The Opening Tour (2022)
* Behind the Curtain Tour (2024)

Opening

* Happier Than Ever, The World Tour with Billie Eilish (2022)
* Still... At Their Very Best with The 1975 (2023)
* The Secret of Us Tour with Gracie Abrams (2025)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jar, Dora
Musicians from California
Bedroom pop musicians
1996 births
Living people
American people of Polish descent
Choate Rosemary Hall alumni