Jane Leo at the Raccoon Motel -- August 31.
Thursday, August 31, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With the duo's self-titled debut album praised by the Austin Chronicle as "a kaleidoscope of avant-garde lyrics and grandiose soundscapes" boasting a "stunning command of lo-fi instrumentation," alternative/indie musicians Jane Ellen Bryant and Daniel Leopold bring their outfit Jane Leo to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on August 31, the lauded group, according to the Austin Chronicle, "primed to unleash their slick, lo-fi cool upon the Austin scene and beyond."
Describing the Jane Leo origins to the University of Texas at Austin's KUTX 98.9, Bryant said of her initial partnership with Leopold, "We both had been doing our solo careers for a while. We met at a time when we were both a bit burnt out on doing the same thing. Meeting each other swung some creative doors open and allowed us both to explore sides of our artistry that we had not done before. Daniel was really enjoying writing from a female perspective, and I was enjoying getting to dive into some different characters and sides of myself that I wasn’t able to do as a singer/songwriter.”
“We weren’t out to necessarily try and form a band," added Leopold. "We crossed paths via Black Fret (now Sonic Guild). They have a program that encourages co-writing. So we said, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a shot.” We didn’t expect it to really go in this direction. We started writing these songs and just getting fully immersed in it. We got a bunch of new instruments [which] started us in a very different direction because it gravitated towards synthesizers, you know, Juno’s and Yamaha’s and drum machines. 808s, 909s, all kinds of things that we’ve never really been well versed in. Within three to six months, that was our mainstay as far as the sound goes. And then comes the pandemic. We’re locked down together for two years with all these new instruments and new ideas and next thing you know, we have an album coming out."
Released this past spring, Jane Leo has been the beneficiary of stellar reviews since its arrival. Indie Shuffle decreed called the recording "nothing short of bombastic, cinematic, and driving," adding that Jane Leo "keeps you on the very edge, a signal of two shining story-tellers." Alt77.com described the works as "a mixture of The Kills’ gloomy, spectral guitars and the Arctic Monkeys’ gigantic modern indie sound. These are threads Jane Leo wear well." And Illustrate Magazine raved, "If you love the sound of ethereal voices along with catchy guitar and piano bits, then you’re gonna want to stick around for this one, folks. Jane Leo’s self-titled album is a mixture of many genres. Most prominently, the sound of art-pop is involved, with elements of electronica, LoFi, and garage rock joining the mix. It’s a sonic diversity that you need in your life and a vibration that’ll keep you hooked for days to come."
Jane Leo plays their Davenport engagement on August 31, admission to the 7 p.m. show is $12, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
