Jonny Tex is reining it in on their latest single, “Mustard Seeds,” off EP “Mark of Cain,” arriving May 28 via Happen Twice.
Anyone who caught one of the infamous booze-fueled State Park cover sets from Jonny Tex (and the Lonesome Lone Stars – at the time) should be prepared for a much more “disciplined” and “intentional” studio sound from the group.
Make no mistake, the bar band energy is still there – just tightened by excellent pop songwriting. “I love to rock out with my friends on stage,” says frontman Jon Wallis. “And I love to play loud music. But I’m dialing in how rambunctious I want this project to be.”
“Mustard Seeds” was among the first to rise from the ashes of Wallis’ log of over 400 songs that he lost in a hard drive malfunction – a collection he built up writing a song per day during the pandemic.
The collage of interchanging guitar layers and bridging drum fills on the track almost sound like the recordings returned from the hard drive and reassembled themselves.
“I was working through three songs in a new open tuning – and it was a bit of piece-wise songwriting – taking the chorus from one idea and the verse from another, speeding parts up. I was trying to make simple pop songs that were slightly unconventional,” says Wallis.
The result is a bullseye of a catchy tune that never lets you know it’s headed straight for the target. “Are you listening / watch the movie,” Wallis sings. Yes, Jonny, you’ve got us right where you want us.
Jonny Tex’s local recommendations:
- Sasha and the Valentines
- Justin Schaefers
- Lane
Ryan DiLello is a musician and writer based in Somerville. You can submit your music for coverage by annoying him at a show or emailing ryan.hearfirst@gmail.com.
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