JATK serves up a dose of alt-rock nostalgia with new single ‘Ana’
JATK serves up a dose of alt-rock nostalgia with new single ‘Ana’
Inspired in part by early-era Weezer, middle school crushes, and ill-advised fashion choices, ‘Ana’ hits the streams on June 16
JATK plays live at Faces Brewing Co. on Thursday, June 1
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Photo Credit: Kiel Szivos
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BOSTON, MASS. [June 16, 2023] – Matt Jatkola has a confession to make: He once rocked massive JNCO jeans, dangled an obnoxiously long wallet chain, and was quick to bust out a Hacky Sack (though he admits he kinda sucked at it). Normally such divulgence would carry a bit of shame, but for Jatkola, the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer behind JATK, it brings back fond memories of yesterday – a time spent in middle school somewhere in Massachusetts, discovering new music, picking up the guitar, and developing crushes on classmates.
The throwback mood to that carefree, pre-internet era is at the core of JATK’s new single, a fuzzed-out, synth-fueled, alt-rock anthem called “Ana.” The follow-up to last year’s debut album Shut Up and Be the Light and this past March’s retro-R&B seducer “Don’t Come Knockin’”, the infectious “Ana” hits the streams on Friday, June 16.
“Emotionally, ‘Ana’ is an homage to a golden era of life,” Jatkola admits. “Musically, ‘Ana’ is an homage to a golden era of alternative rock. ‘Ana’ could be an idea. ‘Ana’ could be a person. My partner's name is Aneleise. We didn't meet in middle school, but we did go to the same elementary school for a couple years and didn't find out ‘til 20 years later when we met as adults and started dating... but that's another song!”
Taking direct inspiration from a host of sources, from Weezer’s 1994 b-side and Mallrats contribution “Susanne”; the timeless power-pop of bands like The Rentals, The Special Goodness, and that dog.; and his own experiences coming of age around that era, “Ana” is both personal and abstract for Jatkola. It takes the music that helped shape Jatkola as a songwriter, and lets him play it back through his own songwriting speakers: Its title muses on woman’s name, its 6/8 time signature swirls with thick distorted guitars, and a simple, straight-sung top melody line echoes some of alt-rock’s most memorable moments. Hell, even the lyric "You're all that I wanted of a girl" is straight from "Susanne."
“‘Ana’ is a love letter to a simpler time – a time when I was discovering music and myself,” Jatkola says. “This happens for most people – and it did for me, in earnest – during adolescence. I started getting into a band called Weezer, who to my ears at the time, sounded like The Beach Boys with distorted guitars. I liked the Blue Album and Pinkerton, but as I dove deeper, I also got obsessed with their treasure trove of catchy as hell b-sides from that era.”
Written and recorded during the Shut Up and Be the Light sessions, part of a batch of “new” compositions Jatkola is set to unveil now that the album has been released, “Ana” features features Jatkola on vocals, guitar, bass, and synthesizer; Eric Sheppard on backing vocals and synthesizer (hello, Moog Rogue); and Seth Botos on drums. It was produced by Jatkola; mixed and mastered by Jim Keaney, he of Weezer tribute band Tired of Sex; and engineered by Jatkola, Sheppard, and Botos. All share a common love for the source material cited above.
“I'm not one to revel in nostalgia, generally speaking. I'm constantly looking forward, and rarely looking back – sometimes, to a fault,” he adds. “I just couldn't help myself with this song!”
With JATK, Jatkola has been both looking back and pushing forward. And while parts of Shut Up and Be the Light were inspired by his cancer journey, written after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in early 2020 (he’s now fully healthy after extensive treatment), he’s excited to share other layers and themes of his songwriting – even if he fully admits to borrowing a Weezer lyric here and a vocal melody from that dog. there.
He’s even begun playing the songs out live, from an appearance at Nashua River Brewers Festival in Fitchburg last summer to a show June 1 at Faces Brewing Co. in Malden. As the JATK project evolves from a solo pursuit to remote collaboration to full-on power-pop live band, he’s eager to take these songs to the stage. Especially “Ana.”
“I'm so psyched to get the live band going!” Jatkola admits. “The live version of ‘Ana’ has already been morphing into something that's different from the recording and I'm really excited about that. Shut Up a Be the Light was born in a time when I couldn't collaborate with a group in person due to health and pandemic-related reasons, so while I'm super proud of the remote collaborations and recordings, they didn't have a chance to go through that creative phase where other people had lots of input into the parts of the song and how they're played. Now that's finally happening live. We've even worked out a unique semi-acoustic, keyboard-laden, version of "Ana" separate from the full rock band version. There are kind of two completely different versions of the JATK live band brewing right now and I'm loving it!”
Leave your JNCOs, wallet chains, and Hacky Sacks at home.
Contact michael@knyvet.com or jatktheband@gmail.com for more information.
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‘Ana’ credits:
Matt Jatkola: Vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer
Eric Sheppard: Synthesizer, backing vocals
Seth Botos: Drums
Engineered by Matt Jatkola, Eric Sheppard, Seth Botos
Mixed and Mastered by Jim Keaney
Produced by Matt Jatkola
Cover photography by Niki Fandel
All songs written by Matt Jatkola
© & ℗ 2023, 2 STEP IZ DED (ASCAP)
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‘Ana’ single artwork:
Art Credit: Niki Fandel
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JATK short bio:
JATK (pronounced “Jack”), the power-pop project from Boston-based songwriter Matt Jatkola and his circle of collaborators, cranks up an arsenal of hooks and riffs with affecting jolts of guitar-rock reflected through his knack for pop melody. With the release of six eclectic singles between 2021 and 2022, the debut full-length album Shut Up and Be the Light was unveiled in April 2022, with the vinyl release hitting shelves and record collections in October. A video for “Don’t Come Knockin’” was released to widespread acclaim in March 2023, and a new single called “Ana” is set for release in June.
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Secondary JATK press photo:
Photo Credit: Kiel Szivos
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The music of JATK has been heard and featured on:
A1M Records (Indie Rock Manchester), Almost Famous (WATD), BICT Radio, Banks Radio Australia, Bay State Rock, Blood Makes Noise, Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood, BumbleBee Radio, Christian’s Cosmic Corner (Mark Skin Radio), Citywide Blackout, Click Roll Boom, Eric Alper’s 360 Degrees, Everything You Know Is Wrong (WMWM Salem State), Garagerocktopia with Robert Kreutzer, idobi Radio, If It’s Too Loud, Laura Beth’s Mixtape Show (Reclaimed Radio UK), Lonely Oak Radio, Marc’s Alt-Rock Playground (Mark Skin Radio), Moosic Entertainment, Nova Southeastern University’s Radio X, Oh Hello Boston, On The Town with Mikey D (WMFO Tufts), Original Music Showcase (Mark Skin Radio), PipiloPop, POP! The Beat Bubble Burst (KDHX), Real Gone Rocks, Ricky’s Daily Bangers, Rising with Skybar (WMFO Tufts), Sound Street Radio, Sweet Sunday Sounds (Valley FM), The Bad Copy, The Honey Pop, The Menace’s House of Indies, The Music Bugle, The Paradox Box (WMBR), The Retweeter Show (Zeno.fm), The River 92.5 FM, The Rodney Bingenheimer Show (SiriusXM’s Underground Garage), The Whole Kameese, Tinnitist, Tour Bus Tunes, Truck Stop Mixtape, UncertainFM, Virtual Detention (WZBC), WODU Old Dominion University, Your First Listen (KNNZ, Eardrum Buzz) and other fine radio stations, outlets, blogs, and programs.
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Media praise for JATK:
“A brisk, uplifting joy.” _Worcester Magazine
“Such poppy magic.”_Boston Emissions
“...a fresh blast of indie rock/power-pop.” _Rebel Noise
“The track’s passion spills out of the static and bridges the analog age to the digital one… the stroke of genius that is the ‘Don’t Come Knockin’’ video proves that there is still room in this world for projects led by the old school DIY spirit.” _The Whole Kameese
“‘Don't Come Knockin’ [is] a gloriously ‘60s sounding single that mixes old school pop and soul with a modern DIY indie rock vibe. There is an insane smoothness to the song with a slight modern edge to it. It's paired with a video that is presented as lost footage from the band's appearance on The Dick Griffin Goodtime Hour, which just amplifies the ‘60s vibes. Of course, the whole package has a distinctly ‘90s vibe. It's the kind of video that would have gone straight into the Buzz Bin, and has that perfect ‘90s thing where it's both a parody and a tribute to TV of that day.” _If It’s Too Loud
“‘Japanese Butterfly’ is a burst of mid-’90s style power pop with some T-Rex style glam thrown in. It's all buzzy guitars swirling with some of the catchiest vocals around... [it's] one of the most positive songs about cancer out there.” _If It’s Too Loud
“Opening with a wall of feedback... the song announces its arrival with a dark undertone, but barely thirty seconds in, its thinly disguised sunny alt-pop melody calls out with real confidence, while Matt's distorted guitar cranks through the riffs as if it's 1993 and he's an aspiring Bob Mould.” _Real Gone Rocks
“[‘Japanese Butterfly’s’] guitar riffs sound straight out of a Dinosaur Jr. or Superdrag track from the ‘90s. On this maxi-single the great guitar work is even more apparent on the instrumental version. I don’t usually give grades or bullshit like that but this gets an A in my book, this student of music was paying attention in class.” _Blood Makes Noise
“The performer casts aside his usual Smashing Pumpkins, Cure, and Slowdive chops, opting for something completely different [with 'Don't Call']. So different, in fact, that you'd never recognize it as JATK at all... As homage to the much missed Prince and some of his more wayward pop experiments, it's pretty much perfect... via a mix of sheer balls and melodic ear, JATK serves a winner with this left field offering.” _Real Gone Rocks
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Media contact: michael@knyvet.com
Artist contact: jatktheband@gmail.com
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