JER (Skatune Network, We Are The Union) announces debut LP (new song & ltd vinyl pre-order)

You can’t talk about the renewed interest in ska without talking Jeremy Hunter, who’s done more to bridge the gap between the ska and non-ska scenes than almost anyone, all while constantly hyping up new ska bands and educating younger generations about ska’s rich history in the process. In addition to bringing a ton of attention to ska with their beloved ska covers project Skatune Network, playing as a member of We Are The Union, playing in Jeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream band, and guesting on tons of other records, the insanely talented multi-instrumentalist/vocalist also began releasing their own music as JER in 2020, and now their debut album is finally announced. It’s called Bothered / Unbothered and it’s due May 27 via Bad Time Records.

The album doesn’t include any of the singles that JER previously released, but it does include nine entirely new original songs and a drastic re-imagining of Jimmy Cliff’s ska/rocksteady classic “You Can Get It If You Really Want.” JER seamlessly connects the dots between early Jamaican ska, 2 Tone, third wave/ska-punk, and New Tone Ska, while also working in bits of indie rock, emo, hip hop, and more and making the case for ska as a style of music with one long, continued history, not something that comes and goes in waves. True to the New Tone mentality, Bothered / Unbothered is in touch with ska’s roots as a political genre, but in a totally forward-thinking way that feels vital and necessary in 2022, and JER ties the political right in with the personal, all from the perspective of a non-binary person of color in a scene that was created by people of color but too often dominated by apolitical, white, male bands in the American mainstream.

The album was produced, engineered, and mixed by JER’s We Are The Union bandmate Reade Wolcott, who also contributed guitar and backing vocals, and it also features Jeff Rosenstock (bari sax, keys), Oceanator’s Elise Okusami (vocals), Esteban Flores (keys), and more. The first single is “Clout Chasers!,” an indie/punk/ska ripper that takes shots at people who acted too cool for ska (and JER) just a few years ago, and now want in. And it ends with a slowed-down rocksteady coda for good measure. Listen and watch the video below.

The album’s up for pre-order now on limited-to-200 canary yellow vinyl, and our stores are the only place to pre-order that variant. You can also get it as part of three different ska bundles: one with the new Eichlers album (that JER does guest vocals on); one with Eichlers and Jeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream; and one with Eichlers, Catbite, and Abraskadabra. Here’s a mock-up of the variant: