Dubbing his sound to be alternative, many of Jay's songs deal with themes of romance, unrequited love and sexual conquest, common in rock, pop, funk, and blues music. “As far as the sound, we were going for rock-and-roll guitars, Beatles-esque harmonies, with sly-modern production,” explained Jay “ And of course, the most important ingredient - good songs with catchy hooks.”
The tracks on Harsh Mistress exude speed and power (even though at the core the songs may seem like standard pop tunes). Stylistically, it's in a category unto itself; blending unique rhythmic patterns, contrasting terraced dynamics, heavy fuzzed guitar riffs, lo-fi acoustic guitars and vocals, tight hard-hitting indie rock drums, in addition to a heavy use of electronic instruments and classic analogue synths. With musical improvisation, and extended jams, from the contemporary and catchy hooks on: “Come Back Home,” “Vacant Scene,” “You Wanted,” and “Love on Lend,” to the hard hitting, heavy riffs, and gigantic sounding drums on: “She's the Fire,” “Harsh Mistress,” and “Last Man on Earth;” coupled with eclectic and electronic influences on: “Time Will Never Slow,” “Truth,” and “All You Got,” and the great depth throughout the ballads in: “The City,” and “So It Goes,” Jay's sound is an exploration of music across genres.
In some ways, the sound on this album pays homage to some of Jay's musical influences, including: 60's and 70's rock icons: Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix, jam bands: the Grateful Dead and Phish; further extending to the jazzier worlds in college, and modern rock bands that transcend the genre of pop-rock. No doubt a collaborative effort, Jay and Matty recorded their parts and ideas, both having their hands on the faders when it came to mixing. Incredibly open to Matty's advice and production attitude, and understanding that his mind was on the bigger picture (the cohesive sound for the album), allowed Jay to really hone his efforts on writing and creating. “I had specific ideas about the sound, the production, and the mix for my record,” explained Jay. “Matty was there to support and help this "vision" come to life; not to strangle or control the process - but to guide it.”
Through a twist of fate, Matty Amendola met Jay while playing drums on a twenty-two city tour with a dance troupe, in 2007. Jay came in to sub one week, playing guitar, and the two instantly clicked, both musically and personally. Spending most of their downtime jamming and listening to music, they found a rooted connection through common influences and musical tastes. After hearing “Love on Lend,” Matty lent his fine-tuned drumming ability, in order to complete Jay's nearly finished track. Keeping tabs on each other after the tour, they finally decided to record and release Jay's debut album under 825 Records. “I knew I wanted someone like Jay on the roster; someone who approaches the music industry like I do, someone who can play their instrument in their sleep, but understands how important it is to write good songs,” explains Matty. Upon signing Jay, they re-did “Love on Lend,” and then finished off the other eleven tracks on the album. From old school funk to heavy hitting rock, to subtly, sultry vibes, Jay's debut album, Harsh Mistress, was truly a collaborative effort between these two musicians.
The pair re-arranged parts when needed and re-record tracks; they would toss around ideas like structural changes to the form, unique subliminal special effects, in addition to adding instrumentation here and there. Jay attacked the vocals, guitars, bass, keys, and synths, while Matty laid down live drums, percussion, additional drum programming and an occasional backing vocal. Although Jay and Matty covered all the instrumentation during the recording of Harsh Mistress, the live band performing these tracks, along with Jay, at the upcoming shows are, without-a-doubt, a force to be reckoned with. There were a few songs that were simply ideas when Jay came to Matty, and so the two finished writing them together, i.e. “Come Back Home;” while most of the songs were worked on at Jay's apartment before being brought to 825 studios; they were finally mastered by Hans DeKline at Sound Bites Dog, in Los Angeles, CA (Snoop Dogg, iTunes Exclusives, The Von Bondies).
Prior to the recording of Harsh Mistress, Jay became well-known as a touring and live musician, sharing the stage with the likes of: the Derek Trucks Band, Bernie Worrell, and Natasha Bedingfield. Over the last six years, he rocked shows with over forty various bands and artists, in venues ranging from dive bars in the lower-east-side for no money, to Radio City the very next week. Being in and out of the trenches in the NYC scene has definitely influenced him as a person, and as a result, his art. From the crazy New York nights to the bright city lights, Jay's inspiration continued to flourish; ultimately leading to the conclusion of his first 12-track album. ~ 825 Rcords
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