In 1989 Stockton, California, a band called Pavement was formed with vocalists and guitarists Stephen Malkmus & Scott Kannberg. Similarly, in December 2020, Oscar Wolff & James Bell started playing guitar together in their homes in Portland, Maine. James had been a vocalist since 2018 and started playing guitar in 2020. He asked Oscar if he would join his band. They would go on to form their own band, accompanied by Gabe Chanis (and later Charlie Gordon), called Jaade. Originally stylized as “Jade”, Oscar decided to change their name because there were too many “Jade” artists in Spotify. Still in high school, their inspirations include Pavement, The Rolling Stones, and popular 90s Indie Rock bands.
Jaade’s new single “Orient/Accident” is the first of their upcoming album, “Keep It In Mind”, to be released. In my interview with them, they explained that they never write their songs with any specific intention or meaning, but just whatever their thoughts and feelings are at the time. Jaade is focused on making music together and having fun above all else, which brings a certain authenticity to what they make. It’s important to them as a band that they all contribute to each song they create. Recently, they’ve gotten the chance to record at an actual studio. When compared to recording at home, they noted that it is more stressful in the studio. Charlie pointed out that the engineer had a lot of great tips for them. James said that they recorded the same but that it felt like a big step for them. Recently, they have been experimenting with their musical personalities a lot. Listeners can expect more developed and varied songs on their new album. Since they’re in school, they don’t get to play or practice a lot together. When they do get the chance however, they make the most of their time together. Overall, they aspire to have an impact on the local Portland music scene, while also having fun collaborating and creating with each other.
Jaade, from left to right; James, Charlie, Gabe and Oscar
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