Jackson And The Janks may be based in Brooklyn these days, but their story took shape in New Orleans. Bandleader and guitarist Jackson Lynch spent years busking on Royal Street in the French Quarter alongside the likes of Sierra Ferrell and Tuba Skinny. The connections he made down there led directly to the Janks’ current lineup, which includes Craig Flory (Tuba Skinny) on bass saxophone, Matt Bell (Esther Rose) on lap steel and Sam Doores (Deslondes) on backing vocals, drums and keys.
The grandson of a traditional Irish fiddler, Lynch was weaned on roots music via his father’s record collection, moving from Ireland to New York City with his mother when he was in grade school. These days, the rock- and blues-informed evolution of his “garage gospel” sound is inspired as much by his Crescent City contemporaries as NOLA institutions like Bobby Charles, Irma Thomas and Smiley Lewis. All but two tracks on Jackson And the Janks’ upcoming release, Write It Down (Jalopy), were tracked to vintage tape in New Orleans by Jon Atkinson (Kim Wilson, Nora Brown).
“‘Windowsill’ is a sweet song about finding where the weed is at for a loved one,” says Lynch of the album’s second single. “More than that, it’s about trying to do what you can to bring the people you love peace.”
Jackson And The Janks’ Write It Down is due June 27. In the meantime, we’re proud to premiere “Windowsill.”
—Hobart Rowland
