(New York, NY) Atmospheric indie-rock artist, Byland, has joined forces with acclaimed singer/songwriter, The Bones of J.R. Jones (Jonathon Linaberry), for the new single, “Jubilee.” After several nights of onstage collaboration during a February 2024 tour, writing together felt like the natural next step. LISTEN HERE.
Between busy tour schedules, the two eventually crossed paths again in Los Angeles and got to work. After starting the song with her husband, Jake Byland, Alie brought what would become “Jubilee” to Linaberry.
“Right away I felt like the lyrics, ‘What would happen if you put down the weight of the world’ meant something different to each of us,” she says. “He, a seasoned musician who’s spent years on the road, and me, in my formative and eager years in this career. We spent a while together, going over the melody, fine-tuning the first verse, and writing instrumental chords. It felt like we both realized this could be special.”
They parted ways with Jonathon’s objective set to write the second verse, which brought both Bylands to tears when they heard it.
Another few months passed before Alie and Jonathon reconvened in NYC to record. It was a true collaborative effort with Byland’s frequent producer Nate Yaccino at the helm and on bass, Byland’s guitarist Skyler Mehal, and The Bones of J.R. Jones’ drummer Jeremy Kokler.
Raised in New Mexico amongst a religious community led by her father, Alie Byland moved to Seattle in 2010, where she met and married Jake Byland and made her official recorded debut with 2018’s Desert Days. Gray followed in 2020, earning applause for its expansive pop soundscapes and landing them multiple high-profile film and TV placements via their partnership with Los Angeles-based indie label, Mother West. That same year saw the Bylands finally fulfilling Alie’s long-standing dream of returning to New Mexico. They packed up the car and left the Pacific Northwest in March 2020 – quite literally days before lockdown restrictions. Caught in place by COVID, Alie and Jake began documenting their emotions and experience in a string of contemplative new songs, written independently and then refined together, creating a seamless yin/yang between individual introspection and dynamic cooperation, each bringing their own unique voice to the process. They eventually returned to Seattle in 2022, recording what became Heavy For A While with Yaccino.
After the album was released to acclaim from both critics and fans, Byland spent much of 2024 on the road, and shows no sign of slowing down now. After a handful of shows with Damien Jurado in January, Byland will support Deep Sea Diver on a spring tour. For tickets and more information, please visit bylandmusic.com.
