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Shepherd Head

by Young Jesus

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      $25 USD or more 

     

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    2-inch black and white patch featuring artwork from Young Jesus' Shepherd Head.
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1.
Rose Eater 04:24
I’ve noticed that I’m trying to be right To ride the largest wave Still every wave must break And I am lost in endless waters I’m left to float with what I am I’ve run away from disagreements and Abandoned older friends I’ve seen the past as pain I once would rather be forgotten Than live complexity and grace
2.
Stay Where I am is where I’m not God is just the ocean where I’m lost “What is loss?” a moon responds Love is of the questions I ask God Go Give your life unto the weave To the fabric and the seam To the drift of what you’ll be Like the wind run through the leaf What I am is what I’m not I believe this isn’t what I thought “What is thought?” the fool responds Foolish as I am I am your heart Go Give your life unto the weave To the fabric and the seam To the drift of what you’ll be Like the wind run through the leaf Lile the storm and like the breeze You’re a body meant to dream In the grip and the release Walk a fragile path to peace
3.
Johno 03:05
I, Johno, an open riot Anger and love in the light Going out To sitting down I don’t mind or I’ve broken down You ask a simple question of me And then you worry where I’ve gone I’m so far in an old emotion It’s like a glove that won’t come off Your patience gave me space  Turn my rage to movement I wish they’d tell another story About a love beyond the spark About the darkness and the coldness I’ve had to see within my heart To hold the truth, to hold the fullness Of love as what we really are
4.
It’s all for heaven, love And all I offer I will move towards my fear Never had the heart To know the darkest Evening even lives in fear Here in heaven love We know the heart is Crying for a little pain For what is heaven, love When all it offers Is light without the rain?
5.
(poem Stagnation by jamie renee williams, read by jamie renee williams)
6.
Satsuma 02:49
Living is an inconsistent friend How funny to have found an equal Playing time against my rhythms Walking is the beat of my abyss Death has met you What is says, Can you hold it til I join? Your eyes were seeing Open to a beauty you could carry When living time could meet the love you need I know your love is a home I know it’s hallways You’ll never be here alone Our love is always
7.
I have a story I tell About a god who came to grief She made the world so well  And felt the world was everything Her son said to Judas  I need you to do this To spend eternity in Hell Know What your heart ignores Falls just like leaves to the ground Feeds that very heart Bitterness roots in the dark And out of this well of love for her Judas gave his life to me And what a grief we could tell About this god of one belief That us believers would sell The well for poisoning Know What your heart ignores Falls just like leaves to the ground Feeds that very heart Bitterness roots in the dark
8.
A Lake 03:08

about

The music of Young Jesus has always been about change. Bandleader and sole original member John Rossiter is a restless spirit, always moving, always seeking new sounds, new thoughts, new methods of working. Young Jesus’ new album Shepherd Head is a dramatic departure for the band, delving deeper into the themes that have always fascinated Rossiter—love, loss, and God—approached in a completely new direction. It’s a record of growth and exploration, pushing forward into the future with hope while still holding the pain and regrets of the past, seeking a balance for the present.

After the release of 2020's Welcome to Conceptual Beach, the band had drifted apart after too much time on the road, and Rossiter became restless. After the tragic death of a close friend, Rossiter felt a need for change. “I can be kind of perfectionist and a pretty intense band member,” says Rossiter. “I drove the band really hard for a while, and I don’t think I realized how hard I was doing that. Everyone was just burnt out on me and on each other. And I think I had wanted to reflect on that more, why I did push so hard and why I could be so demanding and stubborn.”

For the new album, Rossiter opted for something completely different. He opened up the songwriting process, relying on collaboration and improvisation. Instead of the band’s usual method of months-long rehearsal before cranking out an album live in the studio in less than a week, Rossiter decided to take his time, recording the entire record over a series of years using only his MacBook, GarageBand, and an SM57 microphone. He used found sounds, recording random people on the street, experimenting with white noise, piecing together scraps of songs from voice memos.

The result is a record completely unlike anything in Young Jesus’ discography. Rossiter’s voice is deep and lovely, conjuring a sense of melancholy and grandeur, but never with bitterness or despair. The disparate elements—the found sounds, the friend cameos, Rossiter’s disciplined songwriting—come together in thrilling and sometimes shocking ways. There’s a joy to the music, the wild hope and possibility that arises after tragedy, a feeling of revelation.

Shepherd Head is an album of healing, of acceptance of weakness, of love, and of hope. It’s the sound of an artist stretching himself, going to new places and facing the pain and fear of life. Gathering together the sounds of the world, from the chatter of friends to footsteps of strangers, and building something new out of it. Something singular and unique. Something beautiful.

credits

released September 16, 2022

Unless otherwise noted:
Composed, recorded, produced, and performed by John Rossiter
Mixed by Kern Haug
Mastered by Richard Chowenhill

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Young Jesus Los Angeles, California

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