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Jeremy & The Harlequins pack a big punch of vintage rock n’ roll in their music. The band is set to release their new album American Dreamer on February 10th. GroundSounds caught up with Jeremy Fury to discuss the new album, old school rock n’ roll, and more. Check out the interview below, along with a stream of their track “You’re My Halo.”
Tell us about how the band met and came together
Stevie and I were born to the same parents. We met Craig on a rock ‘n’ roll tour in previous bands a few years back. Our friend Nathan who played bass on the album happened to be in town so we asked him he wanted to play some music. He said, “Yes.” And Craig met Patrick only a day before we started pre-production on the album.
You’ve got a classic American rock n’ roll vibe, which is really refreshing. What drew you to this style of music? Who were some of your musical icons growing up?
We grew up with it. The first tune I learned to play on guitar when I was 7 years old was ‘Bye, Bye Love’ by The Everly Brothers. I loved Richie Valens and Buddy Holly from a very young age. The first concert I went to was The Beach Boys when I was about 6. I think the reason it feels refreshing now is that everything in the world seems chaotic and fleeting. The nostalgic nature of music of the 50’s and 60’s seems tangible and honest. You can hold those old albums. They feel real.
American Dreamer is coming out soon and it’s a fantastic album. How long was this album in the making?
That’s a tricky question. Some of the songs are 7 or 8 years old and had been demoed dozens of times, so in a sense it feels like a long time.
As far as making the album start to finish, it was an extremely fast process. We spent five days working on parts and arrangements and two days recording in Detroit. Then we went to New York and mixed the record with Matt Verta Ray in about five days. We mastered a few days after that. All in all, the record took about a week and a half to make.
Where did you record the album?
Detroit and New York City.
Do you have one song in particular that you love to play live?
I think we all have different ones and mine change all the time. Right now, I think Right Out Of Love is my favorite to sing just because it’s fun to sing it.
One of my favorites from the album is “Right Out Of Love.” What inspired this track?
Thanks. I wanted to make a classic Roy Orbison-esque tune, but felt like if we were going to do it we should spin it slightly. I thought it would be slightly humorous and interesting to make a song that ‘sounds’ like a love song be about breaking up.
I dig the video for “White Star Bright Love.” Where did you film it?
We shot it in Toronto with a fantastic director/photographer named Maya Fuhr. I was disgustingly ill when we shot it and it was well below freezing outside. I remember drinking a lot of whiskey during the shooting to numb both my cold and the bitter cold of winter in Toronto.
I’m always interested in how albums end. At what point in the writing process did “Sunlight In The Rain” come along, and when did you decide to close the album with it?
That tune took awhile to write. I wrote it while living in Echo Park in LA about five years back. I didn’t think too much of it until my roommate at the time heard me playing it and singing it early in the morning one day. He actually thought it was part of his dream. Anyway, we thought it made sense to close with. It just sounds like the end. I don’t know if any other song on the album could follow it.
What are your plans for the rest of the year once the album is released?
We’d really like to start touring. We’d love to get over and tour in Europe. Besides that, we are recording a few new tunes which we hope to put out soon. We also have a few new videos we’ll be releasing.
Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
Our Facebook and our Instagram are both good spots. Also, jeremyandtheharlequins.com.
