released October 25, 2013

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Andrew Hussey - Acoustic Guitar & Vocals
Brett Moser - Keyboards
Taylor Allen - Drums
Dean Claeys - Saxophone
Tim Weaver - Bass
Kelley Flicker - Electric Guitar

Produced by Andrew Hussey and Ronan Baker
Recorded at Bear Creek Saloon, Scio, Oregon
Engineered and Mixed by Ronan Baker
Mastered by Jason Carter, Atomic Mastering - Salem, Oregon

Special Guests:

Joe De Rieux - Harmonica on "Magic Ride", "Country Boi" and "Get It Down"

Christy Hey & Elsa Lacher - Vocals on "Girls On Bikes", "What Are We Here For", "Fireball", "Thank You", "Get It Down" and "Nympho Dave"

Ronan Baker - Vocals on "Fireball", "Get It Down" and "Nympho Dave"

Special thanks to all of our friends and family for their endless support... and Judd.

All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
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Since 2007, Jamalia has been building a reputation in the Pacific Northwest as one of the most innovative and entertaining bands in the region. Along the way, this six-piece collective has been brewing a homemade mix of diverse ingredients that are reminiscent of the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, vintage R&B, country rock, folk and funk.

After several false starts in an effort to capture their live sound in the studio, the band has finally found success in that endeavor with their self-titled 10-song set released in 2013 on Rivir Records. Recorded at Bear Creek Saloon, a rustic performance and recording center in rural Scio, Oregon, Jamalia is a collection of 10 songs written by acoustic guitarist/vocalist Andrew Hussey and occasional co-writer/keyboardist Brett Moser. All of the compositions have been mainstays of the energetic Jamalia live show for several years – and that same stage energy is captured in this studio recording for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Along with Hussey and Moser, the remainder of the Jamalia lineup includes saxophonist Dean Claeys, electric guitarist Kelley Flicker, bassist Tim Weaver and drummer Taylor Allen. Guest artists on the album include harpist Joe De Rieux and vocalists Christy Hey, Elsa Lacher and Ronan Baker.

“It’s definitely a snapshot of the live show,” says Hussey, “and I think it’s going to give people the lyrical hook they’ve been wanting, because a lot of our songs are lyric-heavy. So this record becomes a tool for people who come to our live shows and really rock out and dance. The lyrics are still the foundation of the song, and we want people to stay connected to that foundation.”

The first bricks of that foundation were laid in 2002, when Hussey and Allen met during their college years.

“We both were learning how to play the guitar at the time,” says Hussey. “I had a little bit of music theory background, but we bonded over seeing concerts together, and we started writing our own music together. Then Taylor moved to Colorado for a couple years. We went separate ways, but we each kept writing on our own. The when we reconnected a couple years later, we started bouncing our musical ideas off each other.”

Moser, who lived in the same apartment complex with Hussey and Allen, was the glue that put it all together. “He had a bunch of partial songs, and that was what turned into our songwriting foundation,” says Hussey. “Brett was the third piece that really turned us into a band.”

Their first gig was in April 2007. A number of players have come and gone, but Hussey, Allen and Moser have been the consistent core since the beginning. These days, Hussey does the lion’s share of the writing. While the groove might range from country to folk to R&B to funk, he’s the first to admit that there’s no conscious decision to adhere to any particular style.

“Each song just kind of comes with the flavor of the day,” he says. “I didn’t sit down and write all the songs on this album in one chunk. This album tracks the various stories I’ve wanted to tell over the past several years, so each one has a different mood, a different topic. Each one just has its own feel to it. They’re all very diverse, and that comes through in the musicianship as well as the songwriting. Each of the players bring something different to each song.”

The result is an album filled with diverse messaging and imagery delivered by a tightly knit group of creators and friends. The set opens with the upbeat “Thank You,” a track that parks squarely at the unlikely but intriguing crossroads where funk, rap and folk intersect.

The followup track, “Country Boi,” is built on an elastic tempo that underscores a tale delivered by a singer who’s doing his best to fit into the city life despite his affinity for more rural environs. Midway through, the song shifts into jam mode, giving Claeys and Flicker plenty of room to deliver tasty solos on saxophone and electric guitar, respectively.

“Get It Down” is a dark and driving piece that’s been a crowd pleaser in the band’s live show for several years. “This has been our most successful song to date,” says Hussey. “It’s really simple and really basic, but it does well at each show because it’s open to improvisation. It’s also very danceable and it steps up the energy of the show. Whenever and wherever we start playing it, it gets everybody moving.”

Also on the edgy side is “Fireball,” a song with an uptempo backbeat that belies its dark message about living fast, loving hard and burning out early. The track segues to a shimmering, bass-heavy middle section that opens up plenty of space for Claeys and Flicker to engage in some interesting and intense interplay.

“What Are We Here For” hearkens back to the R&B-flavored pop of the ‘60s and serves as a manifesto of sorts for Hussey and the rest of the band. “This is our newest song,” he says, “and it’s kind of about us as a band, and having to work together as a group. It’s a song by us, about us. So it rings pretty true for all of us when we play it live.”

“The Last” is the aptly title closer, built on a stirring guitar and percussion foundation that chronicles a parting of ways between two friends, two lovers, or perhaps both. Flicker opens up wide here and delivers a solo that’s reminiscent of something from the Allman Brothers playbook.

But make no mistake: Jamalia is nowhere near the end. Although they’ve been spent more than five years building a solid regional following by way of their infectious live performances, their self-titled debut album is in many respects just the beginning. The best parts of their story have yet to be told.

“We’re a group of brothers, first and foremost,” says Hussey, “and we’re all about traveling together and making music together, and really soaking up Oregon on as many ways as possible and in turn giving something back to our audiences throughout the region. Our music is our primary tool for accomplishing those things. It’s our way of strengthening our connection to our existing fans and making as many new ones as we can.”