Press Contact: jezebel@jezebeljones.com
Bye Bye Banshee is a new side project by Minneapolis songwriter Jezebel Jones. Inspired by grief and loss, this unique music combines elements of alternative folk, classical and avant garde styles to create modern, mindful songs about the end of life...and the nature of death.
With storytelling that centers on female folklore and mythology, Bye Bye Banshee’s first EP, Deathfolk Magic, was released on October 5, 2018. The EP was recorded by award-winning engineer/producer Tom Garneau (Prince, Sting, REM), and features an impressive line-up of notable Twin Cities’ talent, including jazz musicians Chris Bates & JT Bates. Jones & the Bates brothers recorded most of the EP together live in a single session; then various instruments, from cello to lap steel to Hammond organ, were mixed with layered backing vocals to create this musical memento mori. The EP was produced by Jones and Jeff Crandall (Swallows, J.Briozo).
The first song, "If I Die in My Dreams", explores the idea that our inherent fear of death is often linked to a fear of the Devil. But superstitious tales add to the terror: if I die in my dreams, will I die in real life? Although the Irish Banshee is often misinterpreted as a terrifying creature--as weeping women often are--"Bye Bye Banshee" portrays her as a empathetic ghost; her tears tell stories of many deaths. The song "Psychopomps" describes the spirit guides who surround a person at the end of life, comforting them as they transition into the land of the dead, while "Skull Rattles" acknowledges the decay of the body as nourishment for new life.
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Select Review Quotes:
"These peacefully poignant songs approach the subject of death abstractly with a kind of minimalist, meditative mindfulness...This is neo-folk music at its finest."
Anastim Ducray, Stepkid.com
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"This new vehicle for Minneapolis songwriter Jezebel Jones is an ancient-sounding shot of swampy blues (“If I Die In My Dreams”) and witchy folk-rock (“Skull Rattles”) that makes for an extremely haunting trip into the afterlife via song."
Jim Walsh, Southwest Journal
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"Done with great reverence, Bye Bye Banshee sculpts a beautiful piece of goth folk with “Deathfolk Magic EP”. By far the heart and soul of the entire EP comes from her thoughtful lyricism, which draws from folklore to create a compelling form of surreal storytelling."
Beachsloth.com
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See all reviews here.
Photo: Lars Kommienezuspadt - click to download a 300 dpi, high resolution version of this photo.
Photo: Lars Kommienezuspadt - click to download a 300 dpi, high resolution version of this photo.
Photo: Lars Kommienezuspadt - click to download a 300 dpi, high resolution version of this photo.
Photo: Lars Kommienezuspadt - click to download a 300 dpi, high resolution version of this photo.
View credits here.
Download credits here. (pdf)
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View lyrics here.
Download lyrics here. (pdf)
Bones rattle, gray matter surrenders to bone
Flesh becomes sustenance, gray matters no more
This shell was my sorrow, my joy, a temporary home
Slowly succumbing, becoming no more
Flesh sings softly, melting away
Slowly succumbing, becoming decay
Slowly succumbing, becoming decay
Skull rattles, gray matter don't matter no more
- from the song "Skull Rattles" by Bye Bye Banshee