The JAG

By name alone, The JAG may suggest hard corners and sharp edges, but their baroque moods comprise more winding curves than straight lines. Founding members Aaron Tyler King, Joe Regan and Gant O’Brien are going on a 10-year history of musical collaboration spanning three bands, originating in the saintly Southern Gothic heat of Jackson, Mississippi. Finding themselves in Nashville, TN in 2012, the three joined with Scott Harper to form The JAG and have been evolving in fascinating ways ever since.

Starting with an informed homage to 60’s acid rock and early glam, the band quickly progressed into a rare mix of influences. Singer Aaron Tyler King tangos like a bayou David Byrne, calling out opaque aphorisms with the same clarity and conviction. Highly composed, slanty keyboard hooks and bass lines pay clear respect to the likes of Brian Eno in his famous work on Bowie’s Heroes. Brooding shoegaze occasionally peeks in the door, Marc Bolan tips his enormous top hat, and the ever-present psychedelic groundwork ties the music with a fancy bow into a compelling whole.

This potent mix has garnered significant attention within the Nashville rock scene. After touring with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and collaborating with Ben Trimble of Fly Golden Eagle, The JAG recorded their sophomore album with the Bomb Shelter’s Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Fly Golden Eagle, Benjamin Booker). Although officially composed of five members, the live lineup fluctuates Brian Jonestown Massacre-style, boasting up to eight members in various configurations.