You’ve probably never heard of JIBE unless you’re from Texas, but that’s about to change! The band got their start in the 90’s with a few friends working at a guitar store. After reaching radio success in the early 2000’s, lead singer Joe Grah left the band amid frenzies of disagreements, stagnancy, and general confusion about their future. Speaking with Joe, I learned that while many critics agree that the band had nowhere to go but up, he now feels that the band was stuck in a rut of production and their future is now.
Flash forward to 2015…after years of requests from promoters, and agreeing to settle their differences, Joe Grah (Lead VOX), Toby Bittenbender (Guitars), Corey Tatro (Bass), and Ben Jeffries (Drums) performed a reunion concert…and subsequently all agreed that “this band is bigger than us…we need to continue this,” Joe proudly states. Todd Harwell replaced Ben on drums this year and will be touring with the band as they prepare to hit the road in support of this album.
It’s now 2017 and all that angst and frustration over the last more-than-a-decade of separation has been fleshed-out in the making Epic Tales of Human Nature. This 13-song creation isn’t just an album…it’s a piece of art. “This record deserves everything you could possibly give it,” Joe passionately exclaims as he talk about the hidden ‘easter eggs’ and secret messages found in the physical album. It’s not just a random collection of songs, this record “tells the story of this whole process,” comments Joe; ‘the whole process’ being from formation to the future of the Dallas born JIBE. The band has also been collecting old and filming new footage since the reunion for a documentary due out soon.
Musically, the album stretches multiple sub-genres of rock. From the Alt-Rock guitar opening and psychedelic breakdown in the opening track “Children of The Sun” to the harder tracks like “Best I Ever Had” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” (both pulled from the JIBE archives) we get a taste of all the members progression over the years. Joe gleamed as he talked about producing a few piano tracks from his personal studio in Los Angeles. “A Shadow in the Garden” and “Best I Ever Had” slow down the tempo of the album, increasing the feeling of sorrow and pain felt by the band (and their fans). The rest of the album is a practice in the advance of the bands sound. You can feel the progression through the album, culminating in the new beginning of the rock moguls in the anthemic call-to-arms “Bravery” as the final track, leaving you wanting more…
And MORE is promised! Joe drives home that this album isn’t a one-off reunion album; this band is BACK. These four rockers are ready to man their vessels and JIBE HO as they harness this shift in the winds. Check out “Epic Tales of Human Nature” on Amazon and look for more videos and singles to be released regularly. A MASSIVE tour is being planned for 2018…make sure to stay tuned to their website and social media for details on the tour AND the documentary. www.jibeband.com
Listen to my entire interview with Joe Grah, lead singer of JIBE, below:
Big Jon / BackStage360