Phases (formerly known as JJAMZ and pronounced ''juh-jamz'') is an American

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band from

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, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

composed of

Jason Boesel Jason Lyon Boesel (born August 17, 1977) is an American musician, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. He was the drummer for Rilo Kiley and has also played with The Elected and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Bands He also ...

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/ Bright Eyes/ Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band),

Alex Greenwald Alex Greenwald is an American musician, actor, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the California rock band Phantom Planet. Life and career Greenwald is American. In 1994, Greenwald formed Phantom Planet in his teens with four fri ...

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Phantom Planet Phantom Planet is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is bes ...

/ Blackblack), Michael Runion, and

Z Berg Elizabeth Anne "Z" Berg (born June 28, 1986) is an American musician. She was a founding member, guitarist, and lead vocalist of the indie rock group the Like. Berg's father is former Geffen Records A&R exec/record producer Tony Berg. Musical c ...

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The Like The Like was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Its final lineup consisted of Z Berg (vocals and guitar), Tennessee Thomas (drums), Laena Geronimo (bass), and Annie Monroe (organ). The band released three extended plays ( ...

Background

JJAMZ was started at karaoke night at Guys in Hollywood. The band name is an acronym using the first letter of each member's name. The group was a means of escape from each member's respective bands at a time when things seemed hectic for each member. "JJAMZ started at an interesting time in all of our lives. We all needed some kind of escape from relationships or our other bands. It was a tumultuous time, and the lyrics just came out. It was like word vomit. I can't remember," said Z Berg, lead vocalist for the Like, in one of their first interviews as a band. The band played their first concert at the Echo Plex on January 27, 2009, and went on to release their debut album, ''

Suicide Pact A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. In England and Wales, a suicide pact is a partial defense, under section 4 of the Homicide Act ...

'', on July 10, 2012. The album's songs were featured in the television shows: "Get What You Want" in '' Awkward'', "Heartbeat" in ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...

'' and "Cleverly Disgusted" in '' 90210''. To support this release, the band opened for The Hush Sound during a brief tour in October 2012. Following James Valentine's departure from the band, the name of the band was changed to Phases. In early 2015, the band signed with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

and on May 12, 2015, released their first new music under their new name. "I'm in Love with My Life", "Betty Blue", and "Cooler" were all released on the same day, with a music video directed by Ethan Tobman for "I'm in Love with My Life" released simultaneously. "I'm in Love with My Life" was featured in ''

The Sims 4 ''The Sims 4'' is a social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released on September 2, 2014 for Windows, and is the fourth main installment in ''The Sims'' series, following ''The Sims 3'' (2009 ...

: Perfect Patio Stuffs official launch trailer as well as the television shows ''

Orange Is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Pr ...

'' and '' Faking It''. The band reunited for a performance under the JJAMZ lineup for the Z Berg & Friends Christmas Prom on December 4, 2021.

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (2012) * '' For Life'' (2015) EPs * ''Afterparty'' (2016)

Singles

* "I'm In Love with My Life" (2015) 35 Alternative Songs, #4 Dance Club Songs

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Indie pop groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 2009 American supergroups Synth-pop groups Dangerbird Records artists