Jay Som and Justus Proffit hang out, casually end up knocking out a five-song EP

Jay Som and Justus Proffit hang out, casually end up knocking out a five-song EP
Photo: Kris Kirk

Ever been jamming with a new friend just for funsies…and then before you know it, the two of you are putting out a collaborative EP called Nothing’s Changed on September 28 via Polyvinyl? Yeah, me neither. But, for Melina Duterte of Jay Som and singer-songwriter Justus Proffit, that exact situation is happening! Wow, wild.

As would be expected from a recording born out of casual collaboration, Nothing’s Changed doesn’t stick to one “sound,” incorporating garage rock, country twang, and art pop across its five tracks. Speaking on their process, Proffit said that, “[Making Nothing’s Changed] felt more like a school project than a recording project,” while Duterte added “I think we both challenged each other with each song, forcing ourselves to either stick to an idea or move on, and accept mistakes.”

With Duterte overseeing tracking and mixing in her home studio, the duo wrote and recorded one song per day — Duterte taking bass and keyboards, Proffit handling lyrics and drums, guitar and vocal duties being shared between them — with most songs being tracked in just one or two takes.

You can listen to the EP’s title track “Nothing’s Changed,” as well as check its artwork and full tracklisting down below. In case the first paragraph wasn’t clear, Nothing’s Changed is out September 28 on Polyvinyl. Pre-order it — along with a t-shirt or tote or both, if you’re feeling funky — here.

Nothing’s Changed EP tracklisting:

01. Nothing’s Changed
02. My World My Rules
03. Tunnel Vision
04. Invisible Friends
05. Grow

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