John Deering – Strip Mall Jesus (2025)
Thirty years ago, singer-songwriter John Deering wrote his first original song… and then, life kicked in. College, family, a career, building a life, everything came along and stifled his music endeavours – but it couldn’t disappear. For years, what was stifled continued to burn in his soul, and a few years ago Deering stoked the embers of musical passion; hence, we have John Deering’s music running through our speakers. Join us as we sit back, take a breath, and enjoy his debut single, ‘Strip Mall Jesus’.
Harkening back to the days of 90s grunge with Nirvana and Pearl Jam lingering in the track, ‘Strip Mall Jesus’ breathes life into nostalgic memories of yesteryear. Recorded in a basement studio, the grittiness of grunge jumps from ‘Strip Mall Single’ in its DIY and emotionally profound manner. Produced with Ryan Smith of Soul Asylum, Smith sprinkles sophisticated glitter across the darker melody; however, the distorted arrangement of guitar, bass, and Peter Anderson’s drums retain the raw passion and energy of vintage grunge.
I’m unsure if you could call grunge toe-tapping, but ‘Strip Mall Jesus’ has the pulsating head-bopping, fist-pumping, toe-tapping quality to it. Interestingly, while the distorted arrangement showcases the grittiness of grunge, there is a soothing line lingering in the tune – a sort of rhythmic harmony bound in knee-scraping chaos.
For me, Deering’s vocals harness a sense of vulnerability, angst and anger in what is already a complicated arrangement. Aligning perfectly with the theme, this rush of anger unfolds simultaneously lyrically and melodically. Deering explains:
“It started as a jam session – me, my drummer friend Jonathan, and a bass player. The music stopped when Jonathan shared a story that hit like a gut punch. When he was ten years old, his best friend got into an argument with his older brother. The older brother went to their dad’s sock drawer, pulled out a loaded revolver and shot Jonathan’s friend dead. Sean and I were stunned into silence… that story haunted me… Told as an angry burst from Jonathan’s point of view, ‘Strip Mall Jesus’ is a release of his long-held animosity and my pent-up creativity.”
Find out more about John Deering on his official website, Facebook, TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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