Fresh off the release of their captivating new EP “II”, Polish emo punk rockers from JAYWALKER are back to our pages with their first hand commentary for each and every track from the record.
A little over three years since their debut EP, JAYWALKER arrive at the summit for their work, between sad, hearty nostalgia, glimmering hooks and gritty, organic delivery drawing from the greats of emotional post hardcore and visceral screamo from France. The band certainly comes in high spirits and the “II” sounds as poetic today as their predecessors did 25 years ago, adding their signature pop punk feel and pushing beyond emo’s characteristic melancholy in the process.
Asked about inspirations behind “II”, the band lists personal experiences, Run For Cover Records, new music releases, and some good reads over the web. For more in-depth
Ślepy Zaułek
Bartek: This is a song about putting pride aside and seeking help. I guess that is the most positive and catchy track on this ep.
Łukasz: Quite a simple pop-punky riff with interesting leads in the background is what makes this song very cool.
Paweł: I wanted to compose a song tired of listening to bands copying what is trendy now, changing direction and becoming “copy of a copy”. So I tried to create the most popish song I could do, that sounds like nothing popular-now, straight forward pop-punk, plus I listened to a lot of Grimes at the moment.
Witek: The catchiest song on this EP in my opinion. I added some guitar melody in the chorus section that fits quite nicely with the main riff. I thought about math rock came out pop punk.
Ciężko się przed sobą kryć
Bartek: This song is about a fact, that wherever you go, you’ll always take your problems with you. Sometimes you just have to stop and face the truth – even if it hurts as hell
Łukasz: There is something about the rhythm of this song that I always liked and I think thanks to that I learned to play bass in a little different way :)
Paweł: I composed this song listening to screamo from the early 2000s combined with unhealthy love for Empire Empire, so this is a variation about how I wanted to sound in my teenage years.
Witek: Verse section riff came out of my hands, I thought about Pianos Become the Teeth vibe. I like this song the most. Sometimes it is good to look at your reactions and realize why you behave in that specific way. Often past events prevent us from moving on with our lives and make us miserable.
Sober Song
Bartek: This is a song about struggling with demons and numbing the pain with substances. I think this is the most personal song I’ve ever written lyrics to. Kind of sobriety hymn I always wanted to create :)
Łukasz: I remember that the lyrics and the vocal delivery struck me very deep when Bartek was in the studio recording them. Chills and stuff. Probably our most straight-forward and sincere song to this day.
Paweł: I wanted to create a fast song, that is four-chord-simple, that’s all. Also frog.
Witek: Capitalism made us overworked and stressed out. We are looking for our safety valves. For one it will be alcohol, for another it will be drugs or compulsive web browsing. It is easy to get lost when you feel that your life is all about work and consumption.
Niech ktoś odpowie
Bartek: From what I remember this is the first song we have finished on this ep. I guess that is the song about passing away. I just wanted somebody to tell me if it’s okay to feel as I felt in that moment of my life – so I asked a specific question :D
Łukasz: Cool bass drum and bass guitar correlation in the intro is what I like the most about this one, also the chorus is quite catchy and sometimes I even catch myself humming the melody out of nowhere.
Paweł: This another attempt to bring back those early years listening to Incubus, Placebo, and Deftones. Listening to IT and hearing all influences of such great bands.
Witek: We originally released this song as a single in June but decided to mix it again. Pop punk meets midwest emo?
Spadek
Bartek: This is a track about decisions that very often affect not only our lives, but also others.
Łukasz: My favourite track from this EP, probably because of the breakdown-ish type stuff at the end, and I’m more into some heavy music :)
Paweł: God help me this is the best song, 40% of people say that.
Witek: We combine two songs into one. I like the drums and bass parts in this song, and pretty large amounts of space.
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