It’s no wonder that Jay Som wrote the emphatic lyric “I like the bus!”—because she shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, her album Everybody Works ended up on many “Best of” year end lists, including ours. At the beginning of 2018, she released three singles in quick succession. Now just this week, she announced that she’s opening for Mitski during the Be The Cowboy spring tour. Unlike the characters in “The Bus Song” she doesn’t need time to figure it out.
In between all the success of Jay Som, Melina Duterte teamed up with Justus Proffit this summer for a different cowboy-themed record, Nothing’s Changed. Though both artists are known for their dreamy electronic pop, their collaborative EP delves into gentle surfer rock, reflecting their California roots. The duo played Great Scott last Sunday, the third-to-last stop on their tour for this EP.
Justus Proffit & Jay Som had opening support from the “loudest band in Boston,” Kal Marks. Pairing a noise band on a bill with bedroom rockers might normally lead to some head-scratching. However, both acts were so genuine and humble in their performances, it’s clear they’re shaped from similar indie rock molds (even if that transmuted into different genres). Kal Marks seamlessly guided the audience from an explosion of guitar, bass, and drums— where listeners could practically see the sound waves radiating from the stage— to a gentle descent of exposed guitar riffs and deep, hearty vocals.
Kal Marks thanked the audience for coming out so “early” on a Sunday night (where 9pm is equivalent to 3pm on a regular day). In a similar bout of wry humor, Justus Proffit and Jay Som reflected how good it felt to be performing even though they felt like shit. They opened with title track “Nothing Has Changed,” with an upbeat tempo and beautiful harmonies. Guitarists Justus Proffit, Jay Som, and Oliver Pinnell funneled a lot of raw talent into powerful yet nimble riffs. With additional support from touring bassist Lauren and drummer Eric to round out their five-piece touring band, they produced a precise yet playful sound. Justus Proffit and Jay Som’s two-person recording transformed from a joking experiment to a full-bodied, full band sound onstage.
The EP’s origins of simply recording songs for fun shines through the musicians’ sheer joy of playing together. Since the full EP can be played in 11 minutes, they fleshed out the set with two songs from each of their catalogs. Justus Proffit performed a song he wrote on the road “all by himself.” He said, “I’m learning!” to his bandmates’ delight. The audience could see the rapport between Jay Som and Oliver in the way he lip synched to “The Bus Song.” In return, she hyped his shredding by stepping back with a grin on her face for “I Think You’re Alright.” Though they could have pulled a boygenius and each performed solo sets before joining forces for their collaborative songs, it was nice to see friends playing music together. In that regard, nothing’s changed.
Below, listen to Jay Som’s latest single and see photos from the show (in order: Jay Som & Justus Proffit and Kal Marks):