New York, NY (Top40 Charts) In 2015, Jon Bryant joined a cult. His short-lived time in and subsequent separation from NVXIM would inspire the concept behind the carefully crafted album Cult Classic (out now via Nettwerk). After reclaiming independence, Bryant penned tunes everywhere from Nova Scotia and Vancouver to Seattle, Los Angeles and Australia.
He explains, "In the early days of writing the music for this album, I saw myself (and the world around me) through the lens of a cult. It was only until I was involved with one, did I actually realize that they're interwoven through so much of culture. To be in a cult is to be human."
He recently sat down with popular podcast (2.5 million monthly downloads) Stuff They Don't Want You To Know and NPR-syndicated show q: The Podcast From CBC Radio One to detail both the life-changing experience that inspired the transformative and soulful album, but also his newfound perspective on life and complicated relationships.
Bryant says of album track "Ya Ya Ya Ya," "There comes a time in all relationships where communication breaks down and seemingly harmless situations become straining. Sometimes these small vessels of chaos result in disaster. We develop auto-responses to deal with these awkward moments all the while allowing the monster to devour whatever good is left of the relationship. We long for the old days, before the chaos when it was so easy and passionate...a cherished memory now fading into extinction as 'real life' locks in. 'Ya Ya Ya Ya' is a reminder to talk things through out loud before s hits the fan.
Settling into Afterlife Studios (Vancouver) with producer John Raham, he set about recording Cult Classic in 2017. This time around, he switched up the process. Rather than compose on guitar, he challenged himself by writing on piano from the start and found childhood inspiration from artists such as Bruce Hornsby, The Doobie Brothersand Steely Dan. By welcoming analog warm synths into the sonic architecture, he explored styles that he had always wanted. As a result, the sound evokes a sweeping and soaring cinematic scope.
| 
