Jale
Encyclopedia
Jale was an indie rock
band from Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, on the east coast of Canada
. Contemporaries of Sloan
and The Super Friendz
, they were formed in 1992 and disbanded in 1996. Although they only released three records in all (the albums Dreamcake
and So Wound
and the EP "Closed"), Jale is considered one of the more influential bands to come out of the mid-1990s Halifax scene.
by Sloan
; drummer Alyson MacLeod; bassist Laura Stein; and guitarist Eve Hartling. The band's name was formed from the first letters of the members' first names. Local legend had it that the band formed after all four members attended a concert by Washington, D.C.
-based band Velocity Girl
; whether that was true or not, Jale's early recordings resembled that band's work.
Chris Murphy
of Sloan introduced Pierce and MacLeod, and later lent equipment to the fledgling band and booked them for opening slots at Sloan concerts. Early singles released on Halifax independent record label
s drew the attention of American
label Sub Pop Records, and Jale became the second Canadian band (after Eric's Trip
) to be signed to the Seattle label.
, was released in 1994. Although all four wrote and sang on the record, MacLeod emerged as the leading songwriter in the group. Dreamcake was lauded in the Canadian
music press as an emotional "alt-rock" success.
Despite a relatively successful tour of Canada
, the United States
, and England
through 1994 and 1995, MacLeod became increasingly unhappy with the set-up of the band, and in particular her role as drummer. Friction between the band and Sub Pop, especially over Sub Pop's lack of promotion for the "Closed" EP, only served to heighten MacLeod's dissatisfaction, and she left Jale in early 1995 to join the St. John's, Newfoundland band The Hardship Post
.
, in Chicago. Mike Belitsky
of alt-country band The Sadies
replaced McLeod as drummer. So Wound displayed a significantly more power-pop sound than its predecessors, and appeared to contain radio-friendly hits in "All Ready" and "Ali." Once again, however, arguments between the band's management and Sub Pop hampered the album's success.
Only a few months after the release of So Wound, Jale came to an abrupt end. Guitarist Eve Hartling announced that she was pregnant with music manager and lawyer Chip Sutherland's baby, and would be unable to tour with the band. After the birth of her daughter Kate, Hartling and the other three remaining members of Jale split company, with Hartling claiming she had been fired, and the other three arguing that Hartling had quit.
in 1996; however, the band did not last long and disbanded the following year.
Much to the surprise of many observers, Pierce, Stein, and Belitsky all resurfaced in 2000: the three appeared on the self-titled album by Chappaquiddick Skyline, a side project of the Massachusetts
-based Pernice Brothers. Stein and Belitsky later appeared on the Pernice Brothers' albums The World Won't End (2001) and Yours, Mine and Ours (2003). Stein's relationship to the band proved not just musical: in 2003 she and band frontman Joe Pernice
were married.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, on the east coast of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Contemporaries of Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
and The Super Friendz
The Super Friendz
The Super Friendz are a band from Halifax, Nova Scotia, active between 1994 and 1997, reforming in 2003. Contemporaries of Sloan, their early work was on Sloan's Murderecords label.-Origins:...
, they were formed in 1992 and disbanded in 1996. Although they only released three records in all (the albums Dreamcake
Dreamcake
Dreamcake was the first album from the Halifax, Nova Scotia band Jale, and was released in 1994 on Sub Pop Records. The only Jale album to feature singer-songwriter-drummer Alyson McLeod, the songs on Dreamcake are considered edgier and more emotional than those of Jale's later work.The only...
and So Wound
So Wound
So Wound was the second and last album from Halifax, Nova Scotia rock band Jale, released in 1996 on Sub Pop Records. A consciously more power-pop album than its predecessor Dreamcake, So Wound received critical praise but failed to make significant radio impact.Shortly after the release of So...
and the EP "Closed"), Jale is considered one of the more influential bands to come out of the mid-1990s Halifax scene.
Origin
Jale was formed by four art school students in 1992: guitarist Jennifer Pierce, who had earlier sung backup on the album SmearedSmeared
Japanese Bonus Tracks-Credits:*Jay Ferguson – Guitar, vocals*Chris Murphy – Bass, vocals, erased guitar*Patrick Pentland – Guitar, vocals, bass*Andrew Scott – Drums, vocals, guitar*Jennifer Pierce – additional vocals...
by Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
; drummer Alyson MacLeod; bassist Laura Stein; and guitarist Eve Hartling. The band's name was formed from the first letters of the members' first names. Local legend had it that the band formed after all four members attended a concert by Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based band Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl was an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in College Park, Maryland, although it was generally known as a Washington, DC-area band...
; whether that was true or not, Jale's early recordings resembled that band's work.
Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy (Canadian musician)
Chris Murphy is a member of the Canadian rock band Sloan.Although born in Prince Edward Island, Murphy is commonly associated with Nova Scotia; like his fellow bandmates, he currently resides in Toronto...
of Sloan introduced Pierce and MacLeod, and later lent equipment to the fledgling band and booked them for opening slots at Sloan concerts. Early singles released on Halifax independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s drew the attention of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
label Sub Pop Records, and Jale became the second Canadian band (after Eric's Trip
Eric's Trip
Eric's Trip is a Canadian indie rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick. Eric's Trip achieved prominence as the first Canadian band to be signed to Seattle's flagship grunge label Sub Pop in the early 1990s...
) to be signed to the Seattle label.
Dreamcake and the departure of MacLeod
Jale's first album, DreamcakeDreamcake
Dreamcake was the first album from the Halifax, Nova Scotia band Jale, and was released in 1994 on Sub Pop Records. The only Jale album to feature singer-songwriter-drummer Alyson McLeod, the songs on Dreamcake are considered edgier and more emotional than those of Jale's later work.The only...
, was released in 1994. Although all four wrote and sang on the record, MacLeod emerged as the leading songwriter in the group. Dreamcake was lauded in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
music press as an emotional "alt-rock" success.
Despite a relatively successful tour of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
through 1994 and 1995, MacLeod became increasingly unhappy with the set-up of the band, and in particular her role as drummer. Friction between the band and Sub Pop, especially over Sub Pop's lack of promotion for the "Closed" EP, only served to heighten MacLeod's dissatisfaction, and she left Jale in early 1995 to join the St. John's, Newfoundland band The Hardship Post
The Hardship Post
Hardship Post was an alternative rock band that formed in Newfoundland and moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the Halifax Pop Explosion of the early 1990s...
.
So Wound and the breakup
In November 1995, Jale regrouped to record their second album, So WoundSo Wound
So Wound was the second and last album from Halifax, Nova Scotia rock band Jale, released in 1996 on Sub Pop Records. A consciously more power-pop album than its predecessor Dreamcake, So Wound received critical praise but failed to make significant radio impact.Shortly after the release of So...
, in Chicago. Mike Belitsky
Mike Belitsky
Mike Belitsky is a Canadian musician. He has played drums for a number of bands, including Jellyfishbabies, Jale, Neko Case, and Pernice Brothers.He currently plays in The Sadies and The Unintended.-Album Appearances:...
of alt-country band The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
replaced McLeod as drummer. So Wound displayed a significantly more power-pop sound than its predecessors, and appeared to contain radio-friendly hits in "All Ready" and "Ali." Once again, however, arguments between the band's management and Sub Pop hampered the album's success.
Only a few months after the release of So Wound, Jale came to an abrupt end. Guitarist Eve Hartling announced that she was pregnant with music manager and lawyer Chip Sutherland's baby, and would be unable to tour with the band. After the birth of her daughter Kate, Hartling and the other three remaining members of Jale split company, with Hartling claiming she had been fired, and the other three arguing that Hartling had quit.
After the breakup
Jennifer Pierce, Laura Stein, and Mike Belitsky continued on as The Vees, touring Canada twice and releasing a self-titled EP on Halifax label MurderecordsMurderecords
Murderecords is an independent record label that releases the music of the Canadian rock band Sloan. Originally formed in 1992 to produce just the records of that band, it later released work of other bands including Eric's Trip, The Hardship Post, Al Tuck, Stinkin' Rich, Hip Club Groove, The...
in 1996; however, the band did not last long and disbanded the following year.
Much to the surprise of many observers, Pierce, Stein, and Belitsky all resurfaced in 2000: the three appeared on the self-titled album by Chappaquiddick Skyline, a side project of the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
-based Pernice Brothers. Stein and Belitsky later appeared on the Pernice Brothers' albums The World Won't End (2001) and Yours, Mine and Ours (2003). Stein's relationship to the band proved not just musical: in 2003 she and band frontman Joe Pernice
Joe Pernice
Joe Pernice is an American indie rock musician and writer, who has fronted several bands, including the Scud Mountain Boys, Chappaquiddick Skyline and the Pernice Brothers....
were married.