Starting out as a Neil Young-esque gentle country-tinged song on which he acts as his own backing vocalist, he goes all out with a lengthy progressive folk instrumental part – for which he goes electric, introduced in the video by inserting a bit footage of the fake towns that were built in the 50s to learn more about nuclear bomb tests in Nevada.
The second single from “Turned Around” is out now and available for download with pre-orders at both Bandcamp and AmpWall. The album comes out on 16 September on cassette, CD, and digital download.
I am thrilled to share my latest album, “Turned Around”, comes out on September 16, 2025. This record marks yet another step forward in my ongoing pursuit of better arrangements, better songs, and better records. My fifth album in as many years, this one features a bit more bombast at times while still seeking quiet moments in between. To assist in this, Ryan Jewell returns on drums for four tracks. He also mixed and mastered the album. Mike Horn (Seawind of Battery) brings his shimmering guitar work to one song, and Mike Gorman (The City of Light) joins from Tyler, Texas with mandolin and vocals on another. The rest is me and the results, I hope you’ll agree, are sound. But don’t just take my word for it:
“It’s a slow-motion bummer…” sure feels like that – call it hypernormalization, call it imperial decline, but I think we can all agree it doesn’t feel great. This condition grinds, like an engine with old oil, a blister in your boot, like sand in an oyster; ever-present. We can’t candy-coat the destructive nature of these processes, but the last one does still create pearls, right? One such pearl is JM Hart’s new record, Turned Around. A gentle letter full of wise words dropped in your mailbox by an old friend, someone who isn’t afraid to be honest about what scares them, even if it hurts to say it, but who is also there to lend a hand when you’re hurting – to light a candle in the darkness. It’s a home-made record you can be at home inside of, straight out of Fredericksburg, VA, with a little help from some friends; session man at-large Ryan Jewell on that Ralph Molina Crazy Horse boom-boom-bap, Mike Horn (AKA Seawind of Battery) lending his vision of Cosmic Americana to the proceedings in the form of drifting tele-melodies, and Mike Gorman (City of Light) doin’ the Dawg on mandolin/back-up vocals. The rest of the production is all JM and if you’ve been following his musical march down the sunken road he’s dialed things up, the psychedelic-pop-folk-country atmosphere here is pure Gene Clark No Other style vibey bliss, there is something for everyone in the movements of these eight honest songs, from the maximal indie-pop-flange-folk of the album opener “Give Me Love” to the sepia-toned Acony-isms of “Central Time” and the epic ruin of the eight and a half minute thesis track, “Holding On.” We might be caught in a loop of losing things we take for granted faster than we can clock that they’re gone. “How are you holdin’ on” could become the default greeting for any American with their head screwed on straight, because how the fuck ARE you holding on? Music helps, and it helps more when you can feel the understanding in it. JM Hart understands, and when you listen to Turned Around, it feels like he’s listening to you. -J.Moss
Friends, my new album, “As We Know It”, will be release on Sep. 17. Pre-order will be on Friday Sep. 6. “As We Know It” is a set of seven songs about such charming topics as climate disaster, war, and the county fair. Dire all, but there is some light in there. If a song is supposed to be a mirror on the world around me, then I suspect that I may have landed quite near that mark. Sonically, the album ranges from the clamor of electric guitars, to the quiet simple sound of strings and wood. There’s a lot in here.
The first single, “Catch Me At The Fall Line” will be available on Bandcamp on 9/6 and features the talents of Ryan Jewell on drums and Dave Heumann (Arboretum) on Lead Guitar.
Both Dave and Ryan appear elsewhere on the album, along with Mike Gorman (City of Light Music) but, mostly, it’s me playing acoustic & electric guitars, bass, keys, banjo, Appalachian dulcimer, and probably a couple of other things I’ve forgotten. The songs are, as usual, all original and there is even an instrumental number in there.
Head to the Bandcamp link on Sep 6 to pre-order the DL or the Compact Disc, or pre-save and rock it on your favorite streaming service come Sep 17!
Out October 6 on CD, Lathe-Cut LP, Digital, & Streaming
Friends, I am excited to announce that I will be releasing a new album entitled “So Below” on October 6. Moreover, the album will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 1, on Bandcamp.
Largely recorded in my home studio, affectionately named Shrunken Road Studios, where I also produce the Brokedown Podcast, this third effort contains nine songs both spanning and expanding the scope of my sound heretofore.
From straight-ahead busker folk to fuzzed out breakup ballads to psychedelic spaces somewhere in between; the world opens up a bit wider on “So Below”. The title comes from the alchemical principle that is often paraphrased, “As above, so below.” But, “Below”, is where we live, love, and die. “Below” is where we fight wars, drink coffee, and gaze out at rising rivers. “Below” is what we can hold in our hands, so the songs are about that realm.
Once again a few friends help out here and there including drummer Ryan Jewell (Mosses, Ryley Walker, half of the recent albums in my collection), and returning collaborators Ben Taylor (Ben Taylor’s Finest Hour, JC Brooks & Uptown Sound) and Scott Ferber (The Jauntee). Mixing and Mastering duties were again performed by Rob Dobson. Otherwise, I play all of the guitars, bass, and random stringed instruments on the record.
“So Below” will be available on most streaming platforms as well as on Bandcamp. Also available, via Bandcamp, will be Compact Discs and a very limited edition, hand-numbered, lathe-cut LP.
Physical purchases will come with a special download of “Zones Below”, a digital-only album featuring songs from the album “So Below” remixed by some friends:
James Toth (James & The Giants, Wooden Wand, One Eleven Heavy), J. Moss (Modern Folk Trio Band), Ben Taylor (Ben Taylor’s Finest Hour, JC Brooks & Uptown Sound), Brian Mosley (Electric Catnip), Doug Kaplan (Mr. Doug Doug), & Francis Thornton II (Without Mirrors, Programmed Cell Death).
In July, I got out and played a show, live, in person, opening for Jon Camp and Kevin Coleman. It was a small affair, conveniently local, and great fun. I’m hoping to play more shows in the near future. Watch this space for details!
I call you “friends” though we may not even be properly acquainted because if you follow this we are unlikely to be enemies (Not sure I have any of those) and you deserve to be treated in a friend-ly fashion.
If you’ve opened this expecting album news, then we will both be pleased that I can tell you that the next album is recorded currently being mixed. Determining the method of release beyond the obvious ones and zeroes of the Bandcamp page is on the agenda along with the means to do so. Please reach out and let me know if you have preferences or other related thoughts. Are you craving cassettes? Need a 7” (I’ve got some!)? Do you have a label that is interested in releasing song-based music?
I want to hear it!
The album has a couple old friends and at least one newer friend lending a hand to what is otherwise a fairly solo effort. Some of it is a bit different to what I’ve previously dropped so I hope you’ll stay with me for the ride. There will also be some fun extra things about which I don’t wanna over-share. Next time, perhaps.
Meanwhile, I’m already recording more songs and visualizing a world in which a fourth record will exist. No rush on that.
This Friday, there will be nothing new on my Bandcamp page aside from low-low prices on all physical media. Get your physical media on the cheap and enjoy it forever. Seriously. Get it out of my studio and into your life.
It’s Spring. Winter only passingly dropped by my corner of Virginia so we’ve no snow to curse as it sorts itself into the storm drains but we are bidding farewell to the cold and hello to the sniffles and blooms of warmers days and nights. We’ve been trying to get outdoors more frequently (Remember outdoors? It’s where the record collection isn’t) and so far it’s mostly just a ploy to generate undignified sweat in mountain trails but, the views have been nice…
There continues to be talk of live performance and I hope to bring news of such a thing to you soon. Maybe. Is that a thing you want? Do you want to attend or even host a show? Please let me know.
To that end and in aid of the earlier album talk, I’ll remind you that my mailbox is here for your queries, missives, and complaints. Please post your electronic mail to rowjimmy at gmail.
Also, following on the last newsletter, I should inform you that I am not to be found on twitter and, in fact, haven’t looked over the fence into that particular dump since my previous mailing. I am on Mastodon, as I stated, at @rowjimmy@shakedown.social. If you don’t know how that all works, ask your kids.
Please stay tuned here for future updates or follow me on Bandcamp to get the condensed edition in your email…
