J. Killen Releases DEPRESSION DOLLARS Album

J. Killen drank and drugged himself out of a promising music career, alienating many musicians along the way. He then relocated to Austin, Texas from LA which was just like adding gasoline to a fire. J. Killen's narrative seemed to point to one of two outcomes: death or oblivion.

Thankfully, his life did not veer down either of these broken dream avenues. Today, a clear-headed J. Killen is touring, working with old friends, and releasing solo music at a furious pace. His latest, the stark and somber sophomore solo album, Depression Dollars, will be his second record to be released in less than a year.

'I have this idea of legacy. I don't have a wife or kids, so I want to put out as many records as I can before I leave this world,' J. Killen explains. He continues: 'This is a record of love, loss, and depression. I came to a point where I needed music to process some emotions. It's not the most fun of topics, but there is hope woven in. I really cracked the door with how I feel on this one.'

J. Killen's songwriting pulls from the classic country and the alt-country boom of the late 1990s/early 2000s, mixing traditional sounds such as teardrop pedal steel, folksy acoustic guitars, and a sparse rhythm section with personal lyrics set in modern times. Previously, he released the barnburner of a debut album, Goin' It Alone.

The muddy waters of American music course through J. Killen's veins. His dad played in a country band and he was raised on Hank Williams, Bob Wills, vintage Gretsch and Fender guitars. In this environment, J. Killen stumbled into the blues as a budding musician but soon found his way back to country.

Depression Dollars is a focused record with a very intentional sonic palette of either acoustic or electric guitar, bass, drums, pedal steel, keys, and fiddle. It was thoughtfully orchestrated to be performed live. The album was recorded during a gloomy Portland, Oregon winter at Red Rockets Glare studios, and it was produced by Raymond Richards and Luke Messimer. There is sort of a comfort in the bleakness on the album, conjuring the bittersweet intimacy of records such as Son Volt's Trace, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' Cold Roses, and Wilco's Being There.

'During the recording, I was staying in a basement apartment. The skies were grey, it was so wet and cold, and I had no TV in my little place. The batch of songs we were recording were filled with mood. Raymond and Luke were quieter and it felt darker,' J. Killen recalls.

Depression Dollars presents the Americana wunderkind musician as a man, writing about the broken truths he's lived through. 'You get to a point where each dollar you make is a dollar you have to spend,' he explains, referring to the lyric Each dollar I make is a dollar I owe from 'Time (Is An Arrow).' Other themes such as loss and acceptance courses through the album, as J. Killen writes through friends and family passing away and the dissolution of romantic hopes. On the reflective folk ballad, 'Lonesome Times Ahead,' it's as if J. Killen comes to peace with living a solitary life. It's an introspective nomadic song written on a solo trip to Dallas to stay with a friend. He sings: The road that I'll travel/Will wind and will twist/Plenty of time for me/To reminisce. This lament of the rambler features achingly beautiful vocals sung in an Everly Brothers close harmony style harmony.

'Somewhere In Arizona' is an immaculately produced autobiographical breakup ballad. Here, J. Killen's vocals are nonchalant and melodic with just the right dash of vibey reverb. The well-planned arsenal of instrumentation supports it, including breezy acoustic guitar strums, the emotive swells from the pedal steel, and the late-night-at-the-salon sway of the bass and drums. 'I was mourning a relationship in this song. We had done a lot of travel in the southwest and I started to analyze the warning signs of heartbreak. I could pinpoint one experience while driving through Arizona,' J. Killen shares.

The hopeful and romantic side of J. Killen pops up in 'On The Run,' a hidden gem on the record. It feels like a lost country classic with its easy gait, flowing close-voiced harmonies, rustic fiddle, and banjo runs. J. Killen sings: Tonight I felt alive for/The first time in months/Honey don't you leave me on the run. 'That song is me dreaming after meeting someone super cool, picturing my life going down this weird alley, like 'what if this girl and me run off and live in the woods?,'' J. Killen reveals. 'It was me having a conversation in my head.'