Biography

Massachusetts-born, NYC-based musician Jaye Bartell began working in Asheville, NC in the early 2000s. He relocated to Buffalo, NY in 2006, where he released his first album, 2008's Feeling Better Pilgrim, which incorporated field recordings and looping effects. The Dog's Dinner arrived after a move back to Asheville in 2009 and featured collaborators including guitarist Shane Parish of Ahleuchatistas. Recorded with musician J Seger, the EP Elation followed in 2012, and Parish, Seger, and Emily Easterly joined him on 2013's Loyalty. Bartell moved to New York City later that year and, after a tour in Ireland and the UK supporting Angel Olsen, began writing material for his next album. The acoustic guitar-centric full-length Light Enough arrived in the spring of 2016, followed by a full US tour supporting Kevin Morby and headlining dates in the EU. Featuring a more expansive palette and appearances by Angel Olsen and the stable of Asheville musicians Bartell worked with previously, In a Time of Trouble a Wild Exultation came in October 2017. The spare, Cat Power-inspired 8 Covers, including renditions of songs by Broadcast, Yoko Ono, Frank Sinatra, and more, was released in 2019. Fish Tank was released in February 2020. A new full-length, Kokomo, will appear in the summer of 2020. Again recorded at Drop of Sun in Asheville, Kokomo features piano and keyboard-focused songs with some of the most extensive arrangements Bartell has so far produced.