Who is J.A.W.?

John-Allison Weiss's fourth studio album, The Long Way, marks a significant turning point in their artistic journey. Drawing inspiration from legends like Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, and Tegan and Sara, the album blends heartfelt storytelling with rich melodies to create a timeless soundtrack for finding your way.

Produced by SOMBEAR, alias of Bradley Hale (Now Now, Claud, The Naked and Famous) and released on Get Better Records—a queer artist-run record label—The Long Way strikes a perfect balance between polished sound and raw emotion, inviting listeners to embark on an exploration of life’s profound changes to the sound of Weiss's storytelling.

With themes that resonate deeply, The Long Way tackles the complexities of personal transformation through divorce and transition. Each song serves as a poignant reminder of the strength found in vulnerability, encouraging listeners to embrace their own journeys. Weiss crafts a sonic landscape that speaks to anyone facing their own crossroads, celebrating the resilience and hope that come with following one’s heart. This album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a heartfelt navigation of the winding path toward joy and self-discovery.

A queer kid born in a middle-class suburb of Detroit and raised in the rural landscapes of Hall County, Georgia, John-Allison Weiss has long embraced their identity as an outsider. That sense of difference fueled their determination to live authentically, capturing the hearts of listeners over the course of their decades-long career.

Weiss started making music and sharing it online in the early 2000s. At sixteen years old, influenced by unrequited love and internet counter-culture, they were a pioneering participant in the act of creating art on the internet. A budding songwriter fueled by teenage feelings, Weiss unabashedly posted their indie-folk pop-rock breakup songs to their public feeds in the early days of Myspace, Purevolume, YouTube, and Tumblr. They found lifelong fans across the globe while the internet was still a fresh, free place of expression. They used then-startup Kickstarter to fund their first full-length studio album ...Was Right All Along (2009), becoming the first musician on the platform to do so.

Meanwhile in the real world, Weiss was getting an art degree at the University of Georgia and cutting their teeth in the Athens, GA music scene. As a freshman in college they played open mics and coffee shops, but by their graduation year headlined regularly at legendary venues like the 40 Watt Club and the Caledonia Lounge -- while spending breaks from school on self-booked tours around the southeast.

Back on the internet they had made friends with a scene of singer/songwriters in New York and eventually moved to Brooklyn in 2010. For the next three years John-Allison hung around the edges of a scene of legends in the Rockwood Music Hall circuit, including Bess Rogers, Jenny Owen Youngs, Allie Moss, Lelia Broussard, Greg Holden, and Ingrid Michaelson. In Brooklyn they began to discover the world outside the small town they grew up in. They embraced their queerness, coming out in an 'It Gets Better' video and going through the end of their first big gay relationship while writing and recording the powerpop breakup record that would define the next decade of their career: Say What You Mean (2013).

From 2009-2019 Weiss toured relentlessly, from self-booked DIY tours to festivals in Europe. They shared the stage with everyone from Letters to Cleo to Lou Reed, who discovered them in a club on Bedford Avenue and brought them along as the opening act and background singer on his European LuLu tour in 2012. Weiss paid their dues and racked up their cred, co-writing with legendary songwriters like Kevin Devine, Jenny Owen Youngs, and Tegan Quin of Tegan & Sara. They took their music internationally, touring the UK, Australia, and the US as the hand picked support act for The Front Bottoms, The Wonder Years, Mal Blum, Future Teens, Tim Kasher of Cursive and The Good Life, Max Bemis of Say Anything, Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids, and so many more.

After moving to Los Angeles and subsequently signing a three-album recording contract with SideOneDummy Records, Weiss released their album New Love (2015) to critical acclaim. Their song "Who We Are" received worldwide attention as the theme song for Cameron Esposito's Queery podcast, and "Golden Coast" quickly became a streaming favorite. With high hopes for more music to come, Weiss was focused on touring. Their dreams dissipated in 2018 when SideOneDummy suddenly fired their staff and halted support for their artists, leaving Weiss and labelmates like Chris Farren and Kississippi with no funding for future releases.

For John-Allison Weiss, the letdown was at least well-timed. Changes were afoot and room for growth was necessary. After a decade living in major cities, Weiss followed a pipe dream and moved into their hand-me-down Jeep to escape back into rural America. They were unsure of their future in music, and they were starting a radical personal transformation that would last three years through a testosterone prescription, a vocal metamorphosis, a name change, a divorce, and a global pandemic.

Isolation brought introspection, and a perceived impending apocalypse brought a new sense of urgency for authentic pursuits. A deeper commitment to personal values required an untangling from the ties of capitalism. A new era started and continues in the present day. For the last few years, JAW has focused on smaller shows, less time on tour, and the connective powers of singing sad songs to everyone longing to listen. They're writing, reflecting, and constantly dreaming up new ways to share what they've learned through their art and music in cyberspace and good old-fashioned IRL.

In January 2021 Weiss rented a remote cabin in so-called Nevada to record ideas for a new album, their first since everything had changed. Later that year with the support of their fanbase, they successfully raised the funding to independently make the record. They went into the studio that summer with SOMBEAR, alias of multi-instrumentalist and producer Bradley Hale (Now, Now, Alex Lahey, Chelsea Jade) to record The Long Way. Nearly a year later Weiss announced a partnership with Get Better Records and in February 2023, The Long Way was finally released.

...read more about The Long Way

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