Every musician has their obsessions—with other artists, with certain instruments and sounds, with specific moods. For singer-songwriter Jason Bronson, that fascination has manifested most prominently in his longtime adoration of the Beach Boys’ groundbreaking masterwork, Pet Sounds. “Pet Sounds has been the soundtrack to every relationship I’ve ever had,” Bronson says. “Anyone who has enjoyed that album can attest to its timeless brilliance. I have so many memories attached to each one of those songs. For me, [it’s] an obsession.”
A graduate of of University of Georgia’s School of Music, Bronson has most recently been playing keyboards with fellow Brian Wilson worshippers Delorean Gray. Now, however, he’s getting ready to step out on his own with a new solo project that goes by the moniker Sibylline Lover. Drawing influence from the Beach Boys, the Zombies, and of Montreal, Bronson creates elaborate pop compositions full of sparkling hooks, lush instrumentation, and meticulous arrangements that are sophisticated yet playful.
Today, we’re excited to premiere for you Sibylline Lover’s debut single “Clarissa.” Although Bronson wrote and arranged the entire song, when it came time to record, he enlisted the help of several musician friends, including his Deloran Gray bandmates Jacob Chisenhall and Freeman Leverett. The final result is a charming, endlessly whimsical track bursting with Technicolor detail. I can’t help but think that in lesser hands, the relentless parade of varying instruments and sounds would come off as messy and cluttered. But Bronson, with some critical assistance from producer/engineer Jesse Mangum, manage to place everything exactly in its proper time and space.
“Finding out about Jesse Mangum was a godsend, because he is equally enamored—obsessed even—with these kinds of classic songs and their production,” Bronson reveals. “The sound of ‘Clarissa’ could certainly have not been achieved without his knowledge and prowess, especially in terms of mic’ing and getting that big, ‘less isn’t more, more-is-more’ Phil Spector sound that Brian Wilson loved and I so desperately wanted.”
When it came time to work on the lyrics and finalize the song, Bronson collaborated with Chisenhall, whose mutual appreciation for the Beach Boys made him an ideal partner. Together the duo sought a means to ground the sprawling, grandiose composition in something deeply emotional. It wasn’t long before the idea of first love began to take hold.
“Jake and I discussed relationships we’ve had in the past, and talked at length about the feeling of falling in love for the very first time,” says Bronson. “It’s innocent. It’s silly. It’s fun, new, exciting, and there’s a lot of wishy-washyness—and, of course, miscommunication. Feelings change every day and it’s just a rollercoaster of emotional polarities—emotional highs and lows that you are experiencing for the very first time. It’s overwhelming. We wanted to express all of that in the song.”
Listen below.
Sibylline Lover will perform on Tue., Sept. 24 at Go Bar alongside Pearl and the Oysters, Surface to Air Missive, and Nina Garbus. Doors open at 9 p.m.
More Info
Bandcamp: sibyllinelover.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @sibyllinelover