Jody and the Jerms - Divine
Jody and the Jerms present their new single 'Divine', a short explosive slice of heavy pop wrapped into a song about hope and belief in an increasingly cruel world. Fuzzed-up and psychedelic guitars are balanced perfectly alongside a touch of electronica with beats and synth to the fore, paving the way for Jody's soaring vocals, supported by new Jerm Salma Craig and drummer Steve Clark on harmonies.
Recorded in August at Safehouse Studios in their hometown of Oxford, this catchy earworm is the final release of 2023. A prolific year for the band, they've played 50 shows across the UK, released their latest 'Wonder' album (April 2023), and enjoyed significant press and radio attention across the globe, including airplay on BBC 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Sirius XM and much coveted praise from Rolling Stone.
"What with all this talk of AI in music, we bucked the trend with a happy accident when we woke up one morning after playing a festival. All our guitars were locked in the van, so Pete (guitar) said we don't need instruments to write, and started humming the main riff. Steve (drums) happened to record it on his phone, then we drank coffee, got back in the van, drank something stronger and forgot about it for six weeks. Then I asked for the recording and Jody and I turned it into Divine one productive afternoon," says Niall Jeger.
"It's got a different grove than most of our other tunes, with more electronica and heavy guitars, but it is very much us. Salma and Steve stepped up with some strong backing vocals and harmonies to really give 'Divine' power."
As the lyrics go: "Hearts can break is what they say, abandoned dreams don't fade away. I believe you're heaven sent, my divine experiment".
Jody Jeger adds, "There is so much heartbreak in the World right now that I wanted to write something affirming about love and believing in finding it against the odds."
'Divine' arrives hot on the trail of 'Seen It All Before', an upbeat bitter-sweet tale of mistakes and consequences, inspired by lifelong friendships. Produced, mixed and mastered by RIDE's Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound studio in Oxford, this collaboration began with their third album 'Wonder' and then subsequent single 'Liberation'.
Championed by the late Janice Long at BBC, among others, Jody and the Jerms is a seven-piece revolving around Jody Jeger (vocals) and Niall Jeger (guitars and vocals). Jody had never sung or been in a band before the Jerms formed in 2019, although Niall had been in 00s Oxford trio The Anydays, who graced the pages of NME, played with Radiohead and Supergrass, and were featured by Mark Radcliffe at BBC Radio 2.
Jody and the Jerms create endearing jangle-pop songs that are both evocative and relatable. Formed in Oxford in 2019, they have been writing, recording and performing their blend of melodic and uplifting indie/ alt rock ever since, having enjoyed national airtime on Radio X (UK), Sirius XM (USA) and RTVE (Spain), as well as BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, BBC Wales and BBC Ulster.
As of November 1, 'Divine' will be released across digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Jody and the Jerms are currently touring the UK - get tickets at https://jodyandthejerms.com/live
