John Steel Singers – ‘Overpass’

John Steel Singers – ‘Overpass’ (mp3)

Within a few hours of this track appearing in people’s inboxes, surrounded by countless other emails from bands and labels, this track had already appeared on a bunch of blogs and received spins on community radio and JJJ. I think that says something about the cache the name ‘John Steel Singers’ holds at the moment. They’re one of those bands that people drop things to check out.

John Steel Singers have been on the cusp of widespread appeal for a while – and they would have stayed in that grey, nearly-there area had they not continued to improve. A lot of bands have potential but squander it through a combination of laziness, break-ups, or a lack of gigs. The fact that JSS performances have continued to get tighter and louder – and the fact that these guys work their asses off touring the East Coast – has ensured they eventually overcame those obstacles and stumbled into the realm of recognition and popularity. As though to signal this shift in stature, the extended courtship between uber-indie Dew Process and JSS came to its conclusion with the former signing on to release the latter’s debut album, Tangalooma (produced by Robert Forster), in November.

‘Overpass’ is the latest single to be pulled from Tangalooma. You’ll be probably be able to catch it live at a shitload of festivals over summer.

www.myspace.com/thejohnsteelsingers