Modern musical bard Henry Jamison weaves narrative with sepia-toned soundscapes in his debut EP ‘Tourism’ via Color Study. Jamison proves himself to be an evocative wordsmith in this indie folk record that features a stunning score of instruments and celebrated vocalists, including: Darlingside; Ed Droste; Fenne Lily; Joseph; and Lady Lamb.
Lyrics that are most personal often resonate greatest with listeners, and that’s what makes Jamison’s songwriting so intimate and honest. ‘Tourism’ is an excavation of Jamison’s identity and shifting sense of self, from a nomadic lens. “I Forget Myself” (w/ Darlingside, who also plays as the backing band on the whole EP) is a nostalgic reflection of how the past has shaped his present. While “Still Life” (accompanied by the angelic vocal female trio Joseph), is an anthemic track that explores the lack of gratitude often accompanying complacency. Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear harmonizes with Jamison in “Green Room”, a wistful ballad inspired by the time an ex’s favorite film played on Jamison’s green room television.
Raised by a classical composer father and an English professor mother, Jamison was drawn to music and lyrics from his earliest days, and began recording his own homemade cassette tapes while he was still in elementary school. His roots and long-life passion for music cultivated this sonic expression of memory, which Jamison described as:
“… a collection of songs that I wrote while being constantly on and off the road. It’s really a short breakup record and an exploration of the dissolution of self that led to that breakup. Touring is such a wild combination of travel to incredible places, hard work, little sleep, deep but fleeting friendships, disagreement, partying, homesickness and general uprootedness.”
Featured numerous times on Grimy Goods’ Best New Songs of the Month playlist — and having received attention from Rolling Stone, Billboard, and more — Jamison’s ‘Tourism’ EP (produced by multi-instrumentalist Harris Paseltiner) is a forward-thinking collection that is a fitting addition to a discography full of “anecdotal songs written like the Great American Novel” (Billboard).
Jamison has toured across the US and Europe alongside the likes of Caroline Rose, Darlingside, and Adrianne Lenker (of Big Thief) who described Henry’s music as “songs that sing me through mazes of my own sensuality and sadness, help me to feel less alone in the journey to understand myself more deeply and to face gaping wounds.”
‘Tourism’ was released May 15 via Color Study, a label founded by his long-time manager Spencer Kelley. Stream the EP below and visit Henry Jamison via his Insta, Twitter and Facebook.
Words by Jenna Dorn
