Jackson Pines is an American folk rock band from New Jersey.
Jackson Pines | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Jackson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | indie folk, Americana, Alt-Country, American Folk |
| Years active | 2016–present. |
| Members | Joe Makoviecki James Black Backing band: Cranston Dean Max Carmichael James Herdman |
| Website | www |
History edit
Jackson Pines is an indie folk duo from Jackson, New Jersey, consisting of Joe Makoviecki and James Black.[1] Both members were previously playing together, since 2011, in the group Thomas Wesley Stern.[2] Their debut LP, entitled Purgatory Road, contains 10 original songs recorded in a barn by Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers, The Lumineers) in Palenville, New York. A review from Speak Into My Good Eye calls the EP a "beautiful collection of songs [that] establishes Jackson Pines' warm, natural aesthetic with Makoviecki's voice echoing and honoring the great songwriters.[3] The title track tells the story of a woman pregnant with her first child, and a preacher scared the world is going to end, with Makoviecki explaining in The Aquarian Weekly that "I don't write any songs that don't have at least one foot in my real experience."[2] Billboard called their Lost & Found (EP) a "mash-up of James Taylor and Tom Petty -- with serious focus on acoustic guitar."[4]
The Gas Stations Blues & Diamond Rings (EP) was released in 2019, and Bob Makin in New Jersey Stage says the duo "prove themselves to be one of New Jersey's best examples of those kinds of sounds and stories [of] American roots music."[5] That year, they were featured on the PBS program State of the Arts. It followed Joe and James from Jackson, NJ, to Asbury Park.[6]
In 2020, Jackson Pines released Half Light as a bedroom recording for the Co-Mission Compilation, which raised money for out of work touring musicians during the early pandemic. They played a live virtual set in Jackson, NJ for the 59th Philadelphia Folk Festival.
In 2021, Jackson Pines recorded their second full-length record at their headquarters, The Boghouse in Jackson, NJ. It was produced by Ro Karunaratne and features him and Santo Rizzolo as the backing band. It spawned the singles "Anna Lee", "Cry All The Time", and "Never Gonna Bury Me". It came out Summer 2021 and was premiered at the Sea Hear Now Festival in September, where they opened for Dr. Dog and Ani DiFranco one of the main stages.
In 2022, Jackson Pines toured "Close To Home" and began working on the Ridgway family repertoire and other folk material that would become "Pine Barrens Volume One". In December, the new backing band of Cranston Dean and Max Carmichael would join them, along with James Herdman, to record Pine Barrens Volume One.
On January 1, 2023 "Mt. Holly Jail", a 19th-century Pine Barrens folk song, was released ahead of "Pine Barrens Volume One". On February 27, the whole record came out and was released on vinyl (that sold out) and CD, as well as digitally and on streaming. The band toured the region preserving and highlighting the connection between their music and the folk music from their home, playing at Steelstacks, WXPN, and headlining the New Jersey Folk Festival at Rutgers University.
Jackson Pines then appeared on various podcasts, including New Jersey Is The World and American Songcatcher, and more; NPR stations such as Prairie Public, KBCS, WXPN, and more; and were featured on their own episode of PBS's "Here's The Story", highlighting their music and special connection to Albert Music Hall, the "Opry of the East".
"Pine Barrens Volume One" was named 2023 Album of the Year by The Aquarian Magazine.
Members edit
- James Black (stand up bass, banjo)
- Joe Makoviecki (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
Backing musicians:
- Cranston Dean (drums, vocals, mandolin)
- James Herdman (fiddle)
- Max Carmichael (octave mandolin, banjo, flute, guitar)
- Santo Rizzolo (drums)
- Roshane Karunaratne (keyboard instruments, guitar)
Discography edit
- Albums
- Purgatory Road (2017)
- Close To Home (2021)
- Pine Barrens Volume One (2023)
- EPs
- NY-23A (2016) [now lost]
- Lost & Found (2017)
- Gas Stations Blues & Diamond Rings (2019)
Singles
- Even When I'm Gone (2017)
- Lost & Found (2017)
- Thinking About It (2019)
- Half Light (2020)
- Anna Lee (2021)
- Cry All The Time (2021)
- Never Gonna Bury Me (2021)
- Mt. Holly Jail (2023
- The Unquiet Grave (Child Ballad No. 78) (2023)
- Wheel (2023)
- Hammer (2023)
- Evergreen (scheduled for 2024 release)
References edit
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Johnstone, Chelsea (4 April 2018), "New Jersey local duo Jackson Pines breaks free with own acoustic folk style", The College Voice, retrieved 18 March 2019
- Jordan, Chris (17 January 2019), "Rising talent", The Asbury Park Press, retrieved 18 March 2019
- Makin, Bob (2 January 2019), "Makin Waves Record of the Week: "Gas Station Blues & Diamond Rings" by Jackson Pines", New Jersey Stage, retrieved 18 March 2019
- Mehalick, Mike (29 August 2016), "SIMGE Stream: Jackson Pines Releases Debut EP NY-23A", Speak Into My Good Eye, retrieved 18 March 2019
- Pfeiffer, John (16 June 2017), "Shoreworld: Jackson Pines – 'Purgatory Road'", The Aquarian Weekly, retrieved 18 March 2019
- Weatherby, Taylor (8 September 2017), "New Jersey Indie-Folk Duo Jackson Pines Debut Rustic New EP, 'Lost and Found'", Billboard, retrieved 18 March 2019