Jerry Leger

Thanks to the folks at Exclaim! for premiering the brand new single, “Jumped In The Humber” and announcing a Deluxe Edition of 2019’s acclaimed Time Out For Tomorrow and a limited edition red vinyl release of 2020’s surprise album Songs From The Apartment. Pre-orders are up in the online store: http://jerryleger.com/merch/

Check out the Exclaim! article: https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jerry_leger_jumped_in_the_humber Download the track from Bandcamp or stream on platforms such as TIDAL, APPLE MUSIC, SPOTIFY

Read the full press release:

Acclaimed Canadian songwriter Jerry Leger is releasing a new single entitled Jumped In The Humber, available for purchase and streaming on January 21st,  2021. The single is an outtake from Leger’s 2019 album Time Out For Tomorrow, which is being released as a deluxe edition on March 26th, 2021. Also out on March 26th is the vinyl release of 2020’s home-recorded album Songs From The Apartment. These two vinyl releases are available for pre-order January 21st from the official website.

As with all the tracks from Time Out For Tomorrow, Jumped In The Humber was produced by Michael Timmins of alternative folk/rock band Cowboy Junkies and recorded with Leger’s long-time backing band, The Situation. As Torontonians and Ontarians will note, “Humber” is referencing the Humber River, the 100km river with two main branches that join north of Toronto and then flow into lake Ontario.

Jumped in the Humber was dropped last minute from Time Out For Tomorrow, though Leger kept it in his back pocket, expecting to release it in some way in the future. One indigenous name for the Humber River, “Niwa’ah Onega’gaih’ih,” “Little Thundering Waters”, might sum up the atmosphere of the track. It has a moody, powerful sound and tempo that supports foreboding lyrics like “You’re hired if you know how to drive /can you gun this sucker to the deep Eastside.” The opening lyric, “Jumped in the Humber, or was he pushed” makes one sit up in their seat on first listen.

This new single will be included as an exclusive flexi-disc record with the deluxe edition of Time Out For Tomorrow. Leger’s favourite part of the release is the flexi-disc: “You don’t see those around a lot anymore, but they used to come free with music magazines or promo packages. You’d get an unreleased Bob Dylan song or The Clash or somebody. I own a Who flexi-disc and all of the original Beatles fan club Christmas records were on flexi-disc.” Also included in the deluxe is the album on vinyl, a download of the album with 18 exclusive bonus tracks, and a limited edition sticker and autographed poster. This edition will only be available for order from the official website store. For fans who already own Time Out For Tomorrow, the deluxe edition will also be available to order excluding the vinyl.

Leger and his band were booked to tour Time Out For Tomorrow all across Europe when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. Like so many artists, he had to cancel the tour and swallow some costs. In place of touring, Leger thought it would be fun to assemble a deluxe edition of the record with bonus tracks and extra merch. Time Out For Tomorrow is a must-buy for new fans of Leger; upon its November 2019 release the album received praise from the legendary Rolling Stone, Uncut, American Songwriter, Americana UK, The Arts Desk, and fellow Canadian songwriters Doug Paisley and Ron Sexsmith. It’s the third album in a row produced by Michael Timmins and released on the Cowboy Junkies’ record label, Latent Recordings.

The other vinyl release out on March 26th and available for pre-order January 21st is 2020’s Songs From The Apartment. The acoustic album was a surprise release during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Toronto, in late March 2020. Songs From The Apartment was initially only available digitally, and consists entirely of demos that Leger had recorded over the years in his home in Toronto’s Little India. The intimate performances struck a chord with many fans who were stuck at home and filled with anxiety. “All shows were cancelled or postponed and it was almost therapeutic for me getting this record together. It also went from being just a surprise record for the fans at a difficult time for all of us, to becoming a favourite of mine. I like having an album like this, completely solo, when you can hear songs recorded at home right after they were written. Not knowing if anyone beyond myself would hear it. It naturally allows a relaxed and uninhibited performance.”

Songs From The Apartment will be released on translucent red vinyl as a limited run of 300 copies. This vinyl release includes a bonus track, the piano ballad “Sweep It Under The Rug”, which is also available as a download with the deluxe edition of Time Out For Tomorrow.

Jumped In The Humber is available to download via Bandcamp and on Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL streaming platforms

PRE-ORDER Time Out For Tomorrow Deluxe Edition and Songs From The Apartment Ltd Ed. red vinyl

Hey folks,

Happy Holidays, I know it’s been a hard year for many of us, I hope you’ve still been able to enjoy this holiday season. I wanted to let you know that Digital Downloads are 50% OFF in my Bandcamp store until January 2nd. Music is a healer and comforter. Browse around: https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/music Thank you all for the support in such difficult times.

Stay safe, stay well and considerate.

Jerry

Celebrating the 9th anniversary of my mini-album The Good Old Days Are Back In Drag, which was released as a digital-only album, initially through Maple Music. Until the end of the year, it will be available to download for only $5 from my Bandcamp store. Upon release, Jason Schneider, writing for Exclaim!  said it “crackles with the raw energy of a Sun Records single.”

Watch the official video for “You Got Away From Me” filmed live off the floor: https://youtu.be/xPfaF7Ttfvs

Download the album for only $5: https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/album/the-good-old-days-are-back-in-drag

Hope you are all well. Here’s me singing my song, “Wait A Little Longer” on the piano in my Toronto apartment: https://youtu.be/ZH35TEkknCA

Today marks the 50th anniversary of one of my favourite albums of all time, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. I recently had the chance to discuss this record at length with Paul Romanuk, host of the Beatles podcast The Walrus Was Paul. Lennon’s first post-Beatles album has had a huge influence on me musically throughout my life. In comparison to his work in The Beatles, it’s a stripped down affair, just Lennon on vocals/guitar/piano with Klaus Voorman on bass and Ringo Starr on drums (Billy Preston plays piano on “God” and Phil Spector plays piano on “Love”). It’s a brutally honest and confessional record, I don’t think anyone else in music has dug deeper into themselves and shared it with strangers. John Lennon at least must have been the first. His vocals were never more passionate, as the music goes from one end (raw bluesy-rock ‘n’ roll such as “I Found Out” and “Well, Well, Well”) to the other (the tenderness of “Love” and “Look At Me”. The album opens with abandonment in “Mother” and closes with “God” and “My Mummy’s Dead.” “God” must have been quite the shock, especially for Beatles fans (“I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me”). I also love hearing just him play guitar, he had a unique style on guitar as well as piano that I think is overlooked. He didn’t know it but he helped me learn how to play piano!

It was 40 years ago this past December 8th that we lost John Lennon. By time I was born, he had been gone for over five and a half years but thanks to my folks, I’ve known and loved his music all of my life. Today, I like that I can celebrate one of the important gifts that he gave us, the masterpiece John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. 
Have a listen to the episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-walrus-was-paul/id1524679619

Big Thanks to all those who have supported even more during this crazy year. If you’re looking for gift ideas or want to add something to your collection (I’m a completist too), please consider visiting my official online store for Vinyl, CDs, shirts, winter hats and my 1st book of poetry Just The Night Birds. Walk safely down the aisles here: http://www.jerryleger.com/merch/

TOMORROW (and Bandcamp Friday) will be the last day you can order ‘Traveling Grey’ on Vinyl for only $10 (comes with album download + exclusive download ‘Live on The Blue Plate Special, Knoxville, TN) from my Bandcamp store. ALSO, as part of Bandcamp Friday, when the artists get 100% of sales, EVERYTHING else will be on sale tomorrow in my store for 24 hours including ‘Time Out For Tomorrow’ White Vinyl & Winter Hat Bundle which will be in the Bandcamp store for the ONE DAY ONLY! Shop in the store this Friday! https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/

This past sunday was the 1 year anniversary of my album Time Out For Tomorrow. To help celebrate, we’ve added brand new Time Out For Tomorrow winter toques to the MERCH page. Also, another small run of limited edition TOFT white vinyl has been restocked in the online store. Save $10 when you buy both as a bundle. Also available are TOFT baseball tee/Vinyl bundles (white or black vinyl). Shop now for yourself or for gift ideas: http://www.jerryleger.com/merch/

To celebrate another Bandcamp Friday (when artists get 100% of the revenue on Bandcamp sales), we’re also celebrating my 4th album Traveling Grey, which turns 10 years old this month. From today, November 6th until December 4th, Traveling Grey will be available to order for $10 on Vinyl, only from our Bandcamp store. Along with the Vinyl, you will get a download of the record PLUS  an exclusive download from the vaults, ‘Live on The Blue Plate Special, WDVX-FM, Knoxville, TN, 27-10-11’ recorded before a live studio audience during a US tour promoting Traveling Grey. 

At the time of its release, Ron Sexsmith called it “Jerry’s best record so far and he hasn’t made any bad ones.”
Here’s the link to order a copy for yourself or as a gift to a friend:
https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/album/traveling-grey

While you’re there, also shop for other titles on Vinyl plus CDs, downloads, shirts and the new poetry book, Just The Night Birds. 

In other news, we’ve added another date to our rescheduled Spring tour, tickets now on sale for The Old Cold Store in Nottingham, England, May 2nd: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/509051/

It’s All Hallow’s Eve, 
My favourite time of year and I have a spooky surprise for you. I recorded and produced an album of scary sounds for my friend, Hank Holly (spirit-ual leader of the great ragged rock ‘n’ roll group, The Del Fi’s. The album is appropriately titled, Halloween Music. It could also have been called Nightmare Music. 
It was recorded on an early 80’s Tascam cassette 4-track portastudio. Hank played piano, electric Wurlitzer piano, guitar, harmonica and we added some terrifying sound effects from an old BBC library record. 
I mixed the tracks directly from the recording machine to how you’re hearing it. 

The album is meant to be a soundtrack to your Halloween weekend and to terrify trick or treaters (if able to still safely shell out of course!). 
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM HERE: https://thedelfis.bandcamp.com/album/halloween-music

*Scary Fact: The rusted jack-o-lantern on the cover is actually a vintage pumpkin patch sign. 

You still reading? If so, here’s a list of some of my 31 favourite horror movies (I’m sure I’m forgetting some), if you’re still looking for a few to throw on this weekend:
(In no particular order but have to begin with the first two Halloween films)
HALLOWEEN (1978)
HALLOWEEN 2 (1981)
CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
THE CHANGELING (1980)
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
DEATHDREAM also known as THE NIGHT ANDY CAME HOME and DEAD OF NIGHT (1974)
DEEP RED (1975)
PSYCHO (1960)
EVIL DEAD (1981)
EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)
DON’T LOOK KNOW (1973)
THE INNOCENTS (1961)
THE OTHERS (2001)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
THE SHINING (1980)
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)
THE THING (1982)
NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. (1984)
NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. PART 2 (1985)
TWIN PEAKS FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)
DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)
TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)
SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1988)
FRIDAY THE 13 PART 2 (1981)
US (2019)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)
TRICK ‘R TREAT (2007)
IT FOLLOWS (2014)
SUSPIRIA (1977)
LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)

Bonus cartoon:
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW (1949)

Happy Holloween!
Stay safe!

Jerry

Pretty wild to hear Tommy Stinson (founding member of a band that I love and respect, The Replacements as well as his Bash & Pop group) talking about digging my music in this new interview with Davey Lane. Watch the full interview here (13:53 mark is when he says some kind words about me): https://youtu.be/_mCj3MpH8gk?t=833