JSWISS - You Never Really Know (Album)
‘You Never Really Know’ is the highly anticipated new album from accomplished and prolific New York-based MC JSWISS, released via Awthentic Records exclusively on Bandcamp.
Focus track - For Your Consideration (Raise A Glass), Produced by CARRTOONS, featuring member of Grammy Award-winning The Foreign Exchange, Carmen Rodgers.
‘You Never Really Know’ refers to the fact that you never really know what someone else is going through, and you never really know which day will be your last. Reflecting these musings, JSWISS presents a collection of songs that promote living in the present, acting with empathy, letting your imagination run wild, and soaking in everything around you. “Being present and having faith have been big messages for myself, and are big themes of this album”, he adds.
In the five years since the last full album from JSWISS, he has taken the time to carve a niche for his unique creative stylings. He has performed and recorded with many of the most notable instrumentalists at the intersection of jazz and hip hop: drummers Nate Smith, Daru Jones and E.J. Strickland, trumpeters Keyon Harrold, Maurice Brown and Nicholas Payton, saxophonists Marcus Strickland, Jaleel Shaw and the late Casey Benjamin, guitarist Mark Whitfield, and bassist Ben Williams. Through these performances, JSWISS has become a staple on the stage at Blue Note NYC, making more than 50 appearances. He has also performed with legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Elvis Costello.
Meticulously crafted, ‘You Never Really Know’ sees JSWISS continuing to utilise his network of highly fêted musicians and producers, with features from Demi Grace, ArinMaya, BD3, Eric Roberson, Amma Whatt and member of the Grammy Award-winning The Foreign Exchange, Carmen Rodgers interwoven with production from CARRTOONS, Marcus Machado, Sly5thAve, Vicky Casis, BLVK SAMuRaI and frequent collaborator and keyboardist Paul Bloom.
“This one really feels like a complete journey, from upbeat vibes, grooves and affirmations to heavily emotional and deeply vulnerable introspection. The album took three years to craft, and by the finale, the listener can feel all the life that’s seeped into it” – JSWISS
The LP is his first full solo project since 2019’s ‘Every Word Is A Dollar’, during which time JSWISS has released acclaimed collaborative projects ‘Bona Fide’ with Michael Leonhart and ‘Somebody’s Gotta Do It’ with Sly5thAve, both of whom have contributed to this project. Previous singles “Slow Down”, “Superman feat. Eric Roberson” and “Make Space feat. Demi Grace” have seen support from the likes of Don Letts, Huey Morgan and New Music Fix (BBC 6Music), BobaFatt (Soho Radio), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Bandcamp Weekly, VIBE, and EARMILK.
The album is bookended with the affirmation “You got everything you need / Go get everything you want”, with the interlude “Abundance” mirroring melody from both these opening and closing tracks. His insightful lyricism and flare for storytelling comes to the fore exploring the topics of love (“Make Space”), grief (“The Half”) and mental health (“Superman”), carrying the listener through a journey of personal and universal emotional understanding. Turning his attention to the different nature of relationships, “Bear With Me” is a powerful and vulnerable open letter to friends and family, amplified with a stripped back arrangement of just keys and vocals.