Inside the exciting new music from G.Love, Donovan Frankenretier & Cisco Adler
Meet Jamtown — the groovy new trio consisting of G.Love, Donovan Frankenreiter and Cisco Adler. With a shared history that stretches back two decades and countless individual accolades under their respective belts, Jamtown unites three celebrated talents under one flag to create pure musical magic. The trio brings together a myriad of styles and backgrounds — with roots as a professional surfer, beach-side wisdom, and a gnarly mustache, Hawaii-based Frankenreiter remains surf rock’s 21st century poet laureate, while harmonica-wielding G.’s Philadelphia brew of pop, reggae, and hip-hop turned G. Love & The Special Sauce into a Gold-certified mainstay since 1993. A Grammy nominated producer and songwriter whose penned hits for artists across all genres while amassing a sizable solo discography of his own, Malibu-born Adler remains a double-threat: studio guru and dynamic artist.
The band recorded in-the-moment at Bananabeat, Adler’s studio in Malibu, California, where Adler set up stations with different instruments in each room like “a musician’s playground.” At whim, they could pick up and press record. As a result, the music conjures a delicate magic as the three voices comprise one heavenly harmony equally informed by spontaneity and the Malibu mystique, which will come to life in their forthcoming self-titled debut EP.
In addition to recently hitting the California festival circuit, Jamtown sold out their two back-to-back shows in April and has more great shows to come this summer. They will be performing at Arroyo Seco, BroAm, and Monterey International Pop Festival — Celebrates 50 Years. They’ll also be opening for Jack Johnson at the Hollywood Bowl and at Fiddlar’s Field in Denver.
The band released their debut record on June 23rd.
We recently caught up with G.Love, who took us inside how this all came to be.
How Jamtown came together:
Donavon Frankenreiter and I had been talking about doing an acoustic record called the “BBQ Record”. We just wanted to do some acoustic versions of some of our older tunes and maybe a cover or two. I approached Cisco Adler to produce and possibly release the project on his label Banana Beat and Cisco was down. Kismet and Cisco’s foresight intervened with our original concept when Dono had a family emergency and had to fly home to Kauai and miss, and I was of course late for, the first session. I walked in and Cisco had recorded a piece of music which was so fresh sounding but at the same time completely familiar in the best way. Timely and timeless. That tune became a song called “Strawberry Moon” which would be the blueprint for the JamTown sound. We quickly wrote and recorded 10 really great songs in about 10 days. One of the tunes was called “JamTown” and we just knew all of a sudden — holy shit- we are a band and the band is called JamTown. I mean it was like the sky opened up and shone a light on us. It was immediately apparent that with the three of our voices, musical styles and writing abilities we were on to something pretty special and the music and vibe of this project keeps getting more powerful and joyful every show.
We did this beautiful thing, and it happened in a serendipitous way.
How would you describe the music?
I would describe it as the Wu Tang Clan of Folk Rock.
It’s stripped down acoustic roots music with the characters of the Cisco, Donavon and G.Love and an amazing all-star band featuring Duane Betts on lead guitar, Cody Dickinson drums, Khari Mateen Bass/cello, Beardo lead guitar, Mark Rudin trumpet/keys and Adrian Cota percussion.
What Jamtown means to me:
You work your whole life at your craft loudly and quietly plugging away and putting in work constantly striving for greatness. Sometimes you hit gold and stumble upon a magic moment. This is the greatest moment I’ve experienced in my musical life and it’s just getting started. I’m looking forward to this band becoming the greatest new classic rock band of our generation. We got the songs, we got the players and we got the love and this JamTown-thing is about to blow the roof off of rock and roll.
We just got our ticket to this spaceship, roller coaster, magic carpet, or whatever you want to call it. We’re about to explode into the musical universe. Hang on. It’s just the most exciting thing I’ve felt in 20 years.
~G.Love
Watch: JAMTOWN perform “Fool In Love” at Jam in the Van (Live at Monterey Pop Fest in Monterey, CA 2017)
For more information visit: JamtownBand.com
Stream and download the full EP on iTunes, Apple Music & Spotify
Upcoming Tour Dates:
July 14, 2017 — Denver, CO @ Fiddlar’s Field w/ Jack Johnson
July 16, 2017 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl w/ Jack Johnson
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In collaboration with/produced by Jeff Gorra
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