Jonezetta

History

Jonezetta formed when its four members were still in high school. Growing up in a small town, the members did not expect to pursue a career in the music business. Despite their faith, their fan base continued to grow in the local music scene. Keeping the band together as a hobby while the four members focused on their college educations, Jonezetta played occasional gigs on the Southern college circuit, and were considering packing in the group in the fall of 2004.

However, at a gig in Monroe, LA, with the Christian Post-hardcore rock act As Cities Burn, Jonezetta met that band's manager, Ryan Rado; impressed with the young band's set, he encouraged the band to step up and devote themselves more fully to their music. A demo recorded during the bandmembers' 2005 spring break incited a small-scale bidding war, with the band eventually choosing to sign with the Washington-based indie label Tooth & Nail Records with a distribution deal through EMI. They were offered the biggest deal ever given to a new artist to sign with Tooth and Nail. In 2005 Jonezetta released a four song EP, which was also available to download via AbsolutePunk

In the summer of 2005, former The All-American Rejects and The Elation keyboardist Timothy Jordan II joined the band as their official fifth member; tragically, Jordan committed suicide in December 2005, just as the band was beginning to record their debut album with producer Steve Wilson (The Juliana Theory, Class of '98 etc.). That debut album, Popularity, was released in October 2006, preceded by the group's first single, "Get Ready (Hot Machete)."

Popularity (2006)

The band's debut album was released with Tooth and Nail Records and distributed by EMI. It features their debut single "Get Ready (Hot Machete)", and 10 other songs. Tooth and Nail Records says the following about the album: "Jonezetta's Tooth & Nail debut is full of mood and atmosphere, with hooks that slice through the fog the way song titles like Get Ready (Hot Machete) would suggest." A complete track list can be found at the Tooth and Nail website. [1]

Cruel To Be Young (2008)

The band acquired keyboardist Tyler Kemp and drummer Alex Warren in mid 2007. The two toured with Jonezetta for the rest of the year and recorded on Jonezetta's sophomore release "Cruel to be Young", which was released on September 16, 2008.

The new record takes the band in a completely different direction to the previous album. Frontman Robert stated "This record was an attempt to give the feeling I had growing up listening to an album until the music rubbed off the disc and I made an honest connection with it". Flip Choquette of [www.jesusfreakhideout.com] states in the review of the album, "The biggest question going into this album though is, just how different is it? To put it simply, don't expect to dance much." The review also states "Despite a departure from the fire that was characteristic of their early work, Jonezetta's Cruel to Be Young is worth a listen. And another listen. And another listen. And at that point it doesn't matter how different the album is; it's Jonezetta." David Bazan from Pedro the Lion and Headphones is a guest vocalist on the song "Sick in the Teeth".

Inactivity (2009-Present)

After the release of Cruel to Be Young, Jonzetta entered a period of inactivity that continues to this day. The group was removed from the "Current Artists" section from the Tooth and Nail Records website in early 2010. The group has not spoken about the inactivity, and it is unknown if they have just entered a hiatus, or if they disbanded altogether.

Current

Former

EPs

Singles

Videos

Tours