Nanaimo’s JOEL LEE Releases Stellar Up-Tempo Country Rock Romp “Jump Jump”
Nanaimo, BC-based country rock musician Joel Lee found himself tiring of the standard topics of country songs. Whether it was the breakups, cheating, or the ballads of beer-soaked regret Lee was seeking something new, fun, and exciting. It sounds like his latest single “Jump Jump” more than satisfied that need for exhilaration.
Lee says the inspiration came from a quiet Saturday evening, one where he wasn’t “pouring myself out like the cheap beer being consumed on the dance floor in front of me.” The musician aspired to capture that feeling, being “right there at that moment” in a near-capacity watering hole with shouts for “Free Bird” audible from the back.
“Jump Jump” has all the makings of a hit single with its punchy verses and even punchier chorus. From the steady drumming courtesy of Lee’s son Brayden Wiggers to the mandolin work that recalls the iconic riff in Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” the single is an attention-grabber from the outset. The hook and melody instantly become ear worms as Lee sings of seizing the day and making every moment count regardless of any hurdles or inner hesitations.
My Mama said, don’t be a’scared of nothin
Take the world on a one-way ride
Try something new that you ain’t never done
Baby raise that bar tonight
Lee penned and produced “Jump Jump” quickly, so rapidly that the rough demo was done 90 minutes after the initial inkling of the song. The singer describes the single as an “uptempo disco-country banger” while melding it “to a groove that even Kool & the Gang would savor.” As if that wasn’t enough, another kernel of inspiration was derived from an unlikely source: the title character of the 1994 Academy Award winner for Best Picture Forrest Gump. Even Tom Hanks’ voice as the character can be heard in the outro of “Jump Jump.”
“Truth be told, I absolutely loved the movie, and Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors,” Lee says. “I interpreted the character of Forrest Gump as fearless, willing to ‘jump’ at any opportunity that presented itself, and in doing so, he touched so many lives.” Mirroring Gump’s adventurous streak, Lee ended up doing a freestyle rap near the song’s homestretch in one take.
“As it turns out, I have never ‘rapped’ before in my life and was actually going to lean on some of my friends who are fantastic rap artists,” Lee says. “But as the lyrics go, ‘Jump jump, Forrest Gump,’ I figured, ‘What the heck?’ To my delight, the redneck rap actually came to me quite naturally and so quickly. Mind blown.”
Inspired by a myriad of quality performers ranging from Eric Church and Keith Urban to consistently engaging bands like Kings of Leon and Coldplay, Joel Lee made headway in Canadian country music circles. First, 2020’s “Adrenaline” garnered praise and attention while 2021’s “The Party Ain’t Over” hit the top spot on the Canada Country Countdown. Now look for Joel Lee’s “Jump Jump” to be the equivalent of Forrest Gump’s running shoes: taking him anywhere!
Hi Joel! Good to see you again! What have you been up to since we last spoke?
To be honest, it’s been insanely busy… I have been recording, writing, performing, rehearsing, and just for fun building an In-law suite for my mom on our home… we moved my mother back to Canada from Hawaii last February. Oh and of course there is the tattoo shop which has been nonstop for the past eight years haha.
“Jump Jump” captures a unique blend of disco and country. What inspired you to combine these genres for this single?
To be honest, I enjoy making music that is fun and danceable and creates an environment for people to have a good time. When I first began writing I wrote songs that were melancholic and relationship-based -heartbreak… this time around I really wanted people to just have a good time at our shows and to do that I needed to come up with some music that would provide a good platform for a party atmosphere… as you know, my single “adrenaline” reached top 30 in Canada on the Canadian country countdown and then subsequently “this partying ain’t over” peaked at number one on the Canada country countdown so with that success, I thought it would be wise to continue to create music that seemed to connect well with folks. Let’s be honest everyone likes to have a good time and I’m no exception.
Can you tell us more about the moment that sparked the creation of “Jump Jump” on that quiet Saturday evening?
Yeah, for sure, I was literally sitting in my studio, thinking about the days playing live in clubs, the atmosphere the people, and inevitably that guy who would yell from across the room free Bird! 100% true story… so as I thought about those times and how much I enjoyed those gigs, I decided to write something that would put me and my band in that exact same atmosphere once again. Jump Jump was such an easy song to write, It seemed to just flow so well, even when I got to the rap part, literally on the first take while writing and singing or rapping as it were, it was the first pass that seemed to work so well lyrically, rhythmically, and musically and so that “scratch” pass was the one that made the cut!
The lyrics emphasize seizing the day and overcoming inner hesitations. How do these themes resonate with your personal experiences?
For as long as I can remember, I have battled self-doubt, A lot of people think that because you have talent, these things are achieved easily. Nothing could be further from the truth. Self-doubt can be such a barrier from achieving goals, so like my mama said “there is nothing you can’t achieve if you put your mind to it” I took those words to heart and made my mantra… “no matter how steep or how hard the climb you just need to put 1 foot in front of the other and eventually you’ll get to where you are focussed on going”
How have artists like Eric Church, Keith Urban, Kings of Leon, and Coldplay influenced your music style and the creation of “Jump Jump”?
All these artists have something unique and special, from a timeless Americana to ethereal vibes and boundless creativity, Particularly Kings of Leon with their raw emotional appeal it’s like the honesty in their music is Unavoidable… And well, Keith Urban is just a phenomenon, that voice, and those guitar skills what better inspiration could there be for anyone looking to make their mark on the music business. Anytime I approach making music I always think about how would the world‘s best musicians and songwriters apply themselves to creating something really great and “jump jump” although a simple fun song, I still wanted the lyrics to represent what I believe and I always want to be skillful in everything I do. In a nutshell, work hard, learn, try, fail, try, win and all the while being yourself, have courage and you will be amazed at what can happen.