Jalen N’Gonda shares ‘Don’t You Remember’, COLORS session + live dates

Jalen N’Gonda has released latest single ‘Don’t You Remember’ today, a striking highlight from his new EP. A series of dates for the summer have also been confirmed as below, whilst N’Gonda also recently performed his new single live in session for COLORS.

Jalen N’Gonda’s new EP, ‘Talking About Mary’, is the culmination of an extraordinary musical journey that’s taken him from the U.S. to the U.K. and eventually back stateside for a gala 2017 tour. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Jalen’s parents hail from the Washington, D.C. area; his father is a humanitarian worker, his mother a day care worker, with the family backdrop described by N’Gonda as “generally working class, but with a very close community.” Jalen proceeded to dig deep into his father’s collection of soul, jazz and hip-hop, paying special attention to legendary Motown artists, while taking in the works of some of the era’s great rock architects as well. “David Ruffin, Mary Wells, Brian Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Phil Spector, the Doors, and the list goes on,” he says. Yet he’s also just as quick to cite a line-up of contemporary artists that have more recently caught his discerning ear: “People like Alex Turner, Angel Olsen, Lianne La Havas, Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes.”

The big move came when Jalen decided to relocate to Great Britain in 2014 to study music at the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. Indeed, the jaunt across the pond wasn’t without its adjustments. “When I first moved into the U.K., it was a culture shock, the way the cars looked and all the different British accents and mannerisms. The way I adapted in the country was by simply living in it,” he says. “I’ve been in Liverpool for nearly four years, and I’ve grown very accustomed to how things go around here. The culture is one of a kind with its humour, diversity, food, and the everyday people. The music scene in Liverpool is one of the leading scenes in the country.”

Word of Jalen N’Gonda’s slow-burning soul songcraft has since spread much further, however. IMartha Reeves, the legendary leader of Martha & the Vandellas, became a fan, whilst N’Gonda has also been invited to open for the likes of Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill. Is, perhaps, the soul genre ready for a rebirth? “Real soul music,” replies Jalen N’Gonda, “never died”, and with one listen of ‘I Guess That Makes Me A Loser’ you may be inclined to agree.

THU June 7 – FRI June 8 – Bonnaroo Festival – Manchester, TN, USA
SUN June 10 – Live @ The Loft – Portsmouth, NH, USA
WED June 13 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY, USA *supporting mondo cozmo
THU June 14 – Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 – New York, NY, USA
FRI June 15 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA, US *supporting River Whyless
SAT June 16 – Great Scott – Allston, MA, USA *supporting River Whyless
SUN June 17 – Clearwater Festival – Croton-on-Hudson, NY, USA
TUE June 19 – 9th Ward at Babeville – Buffalo, NY, USA *supporting River Whyless
THU June 21 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL, USA *supporting River Whyless
FRI June 22 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN, USA *supporting River Whyless
SAT June 23 – Pierce Hill Performing Arts – Viroqua, WI, USA *supporting River Whyless MON June 25 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS, USA *supporting River Whyless
SAT July 7 – Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul – Moseley Park – Moseley, UK
SUN July 8 – Timber! Festival – Ashby-de-la-zouch, UK
TUE July 10 – Montreux Jazz Festival – Montreux, CH
SUN July 15 – Sacred Ground Festival – Berlin, GER
SAT July 21 – Nozstock The Hidden Valley – Herefordshire, UK
SUN July 22 – Liverpool International Music Festival – Liverpool, UK
FRI July 27 – SAT July 28 – Port Elliot Festival – St. Germans, UK
SAT August 4 – Wilderness Festival – Oxfordshire, UK
August 11 – Musiques en Eté – Geneva, CH

LISTEN to ‘Don’t You Remember’: https://soundcloud.com/jalen-ngonda/dont-you-remember