The Jayhawks – XOXO
Format: CD – LP
Label: Thirty Tigers / Sham
Release: 2020

Seminal Minneapolis band The Jayhawks’ new album ‘XOXO’ features their most diverse and wide-ranging group of songs to date. It marks a new era in collaboration, with songwriting and lead vocal contributions from all four longtime band members – Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg and Tim O’Reagan.

‘XOXO’ is a testament to The Jayhawks’ unrelenting ability to evolve while remaining true to the authentic sound that has made them one of the most influential and respected bands today. Recorded over two weeks holed up together at the secluded Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, MN, XOXO is an album fueled by chemistry and trust. The group’s camaraderie is at the heart and soul of these 12 songs, bringing an injection of confidence and energy to The Jayhawks’ signature harmonies, infectious melodies and masterful musicianship.
From Louris’ pointedly transportive “Homecoming” to Grotberg’s timelessly poetic “Ruby” to the the Pearlmen-led, folk-driven “Down To The Farm” and the trippy O’Reagan/Perlman co-write “Illuminate”, ‘XOXO’ is the product of a group that is more inspired and more itself than ever before. “It was time to open things up,” explains Louris.
“The Jayhawks are a true band, one where every-one’s an equal, and we wanted to make a record that really reflected that.” Elaborating on the process, Perlman says, “Some songs we molded together from scratch, but others had been fully written by one or the other of us. We didn’t worry too much about who penned what, because after all these years of playing together, everything we do just naturally comes out sounding like a Jayhawks song.”

Tracks:
01. This Forgotten Town
02. Dogtown Days
03. Living In A Bubble
04. Ruby
05. Homecoming
06. Society Pages
07. Illuminate
08. Bitter Pill
09. Across My Field
10. Little Victories
11. Down To The Farm
12. Looking Up Your Number

Website: The Jayhawks