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The past two years have been existentially unsettling, to say the least. The onslaught of the pandemic, the polarizing presidency of Trump, and the battle for Black lives have begged some serious questions and have forced us to re-examine ourselves, and ...
The past two years have been existentially unsettling, to say the least. The onslaught of the pandemic, the polarizing presidency of Trump, and the battle for Black lives have begged some serious questions and have forced us to re-examine ourselves, and to confront some very harsh realities. Throughout this explosive time, alt pop-rock artist Jon Stancer was, like so many of us, cooped up, frustrated and at times, deeply sad. He found himself vexed by the chaos and uncertainty of, well, everything. While working at managing his own increasingly fragile psyche, he was also distressed by so much of what was happening around him, as certain people and certain entities began to unravel.
Jon has channeled his internal dialogues into the songs on his new EP, aptly-titled, In Light Of, out January 21st, 2022. The six-song collection delves into the many challenges of the ever-evolving human condition, with a focus on the emotional fallout from living in these currently confounding and perilous times. Mental illness (“Scared Off), marital strife (“A Few Degrees of Adjustment”), and general disillusionment (“In Light of Everything”) are all touched upon here, as is the brooding impacts of climate change (“This Cannot Wait (Until Tomorrow)”), and the confusion and horror of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol (“One.Six”). Jon writes as the observer-empath, chronicling the carnage and struggles with achingly beautiful tracks that sparkle with artful electronic textures, and feature engaging Brit-pop hooks and immersive arrangements.
“The subject matter isn’t all that rosy, but I think that’s understandable, all things considered, and I also think it’s pretty relatable. And I felt compelled to try to convey what I was feeling and also observing.” Jon shares. “I was privy to breakdowns. Many people, myself included, felt out of sorts, mentally and emotionally throughout that time. A couple of people I knew took their own lives. There was a darkness that felt far more palpable to me than ever before in my lifetime.”
His forthcoming EP, In Light Of, is debuting 1/21/22!
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Singer / Songwriter / Musician
Jon Stancer is a singer-songwriter and musician, somewhere within the alt-rock-pop milieux. Born in Toronto in 1970, he gravitated to music as a young child and began composing by the age of 11. He spent the majority of his teens and 20s writing, recording and performing with various friends and collaborators, notably, as guitarist and backing vocalist for singer-songwriter, John Southworth. During this time he appeared on Southworth’s critically acclaimed debut LP, Mars Pennsylvania – and – as 1/3 of the songwriting collective Family Ritual, which released one album (Saloon) and one EP (3 for Now) prior to disbanding.
After a hiatus of several years, in 2017, Stancer released his debut solo LP For The Birds. The album, hailed by one journalist as “a tiny little record that sounds like a million bucks” and another, which called it “luscious and resplendent“, included the standout track, “Now That Summer Is Gone”, which reached the #1 spot on the L.A.-based New Music Weekly Indie chart, and landed in the top 10 on its Hot 100 chart alongside releases by Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Ariana Grande.
Four singles followed: 2018’s politically charged “Not Far From the Truth”, then the enigmatic “Can’t Get It By You” in 2019. In 2020, the apocalyptically-tinged “Chase The Moon” preceded a solemn and lush re-working of Neil Young’s Comes A Time, lauded by one writer as “an anthem for our uncertain times”. These releases further demonstrated Stancer’s ability for conjuring hook-y and occasionally, haunting melodies, with lyrics – sometimes direct and other times cr… Read More
