Vancouver singer-songwriter JJ MYERS announces new album I Don’t Want To Die with cinematic single “Heading For A Storm” featuring Owen Pallett
Vancouver-based singer-songwriter JJ Myers doesn’t hesitate to admit he’s lived a turbulent life. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he performed with dozens of Canadian bands, and those years also brought with them substance abuse struggles, mental health battles, divorce, bankruptcy, and even a short prison term. Music was the one constant that kept him alive.
When searching for a title for his full-length debut solo album, Myers settled on I Don’t Want To Die—and he means it. Driven by the same restless spirit he’s always had, Myers channelled love, loss and mortality into the album’s 10 tracks, conveyed through irresistible melodies and honest storytelling. After rediscovering purpose through fatherhood, Myers dedicated himself to writing, ending up with 40 tracks that producer Jackson J. Gardner helped refine into the final product’s vivid reflections on resilience and rebirth. I Don’t Want To Die marks the arrival of a mature, distinctive voice in alternative folk—one that refuses to fade quietly into the night.
I Don’t Want To Die was preceded by Myers’ participation in Silva Dawn, a psychedelic rock project rooted in themes of spirituality and self-identity. On its lone 2024 album The Great Unknown, the six-piece group developed a sound notable for exploring shifting states of consciousness and emotion through rhythm, texture, and sound. Much of those elements are still evident on I Don’t Want To Die, although Myers is now much more grounded.
That approach is on full display throughout I Don’t Want To Die, particularly with the standout tracks “Flowers Upon My Bed,” “San Francisco Bay” and the single “Heading For A Storm”—the last featuring Polaris Prize winner Owen Pallett on strings—which blend British post-punk sonic flair with alt-country sensibilities. It’s a heady combination to be sure, but one that defies any preconceived notions of a typical artist working in either genre.
Overall, Myers now views I Don’t Want To Die as an experiment in using his music to overcome personal fears he’s never been able to shake. “Every track draws from personal experiences and the LP exists as a testament to the uprising that is so inherent to being human,” Myers says. “Light is not light without something dark, and it took a lot of time to be able to write music from that perspective. As any singer-songwriter will tell you, the work is an invitation into an artist’s mind, and as someone with not only a chronically crowded mind but a chaotic past, I invite people into a world of emotional turbulence that stretches itself into hope, resilience and redemption. There is so much in this world to feel; sometimes it takes years to even fully feel anything. But I hope my songs help someone feel just a little bit deeper. Hopefully, that will help spread less fear of mortality and more hope for emotional relief.”
Indeed, as I Don’t Want To Die proves, JJ Myers is a rare artist who can truly be described as fearless, a trait much needed in today’s roots-based music scene.
Upcoming Shows:
Nov 12 (Tours) :: Vancouver BC :: Hero’s Welcome [TICKETS]