Authority Zero Frontman Jason DeVore Debuts "Turn it Off!", The First Single + Video Off Upcoming Solo LP, 'Til The Voice Goes Out', Out On June 7th
Jason DeVore, the charismatic frontman for long standing Arizona punk powerhouse Authority Zero, is debuting "Turn It Off!" the lead single and video off his upcoming fourth solo album, ''Til The Voice Goes Out', out on June 7th via Double Helix/SBÄM/Caffeine Bomb Records.
Stream"Turn It Off!" HERE: https://ffm.to/turnitoff.OPR
Watch the music video HERE: https://youtu.be/7ywZrZ8gaJY?si=GpQ-zu773JoEZt2M
Speaking on the video, DeVore said, ”A brilliant and very talented director by the name of Eric Cannon with Illmatic Productions brought the music video to life. I had this wild left-field concept one day when I was watching the latest Joker movie with the role played by Joaquin Phoenix. As I was watching it, I started picturing my song playing along to the scene where he’s walking down the hallway with his back turned to you and then when he turns around there’s that look of maniacal vengeance but yet somehow at peace and confident in his mentally ill mind. Directly following that scene was the carefree dance scene of him on the staircase and it all came together in my head--a 'this is it' moment. I instantly drafted a makeshift video with the actual footage from the film with 'Turn It Off!' playing in the background and it blew my mind how well it fit to the imagery and the storyline. I sent it off to Jeff and Em at Double Helix Records and they were instantly intrigued. We then tied Eric into the concept and he absolutely loved it. It’s unreal to me how well he was able to make the vision come to life as a short film. Some of the most memorable things about making this video was just how much fun it was acting. I love acting. I’ve dreamt of being an actor, as well as a musician, since I was a kid--an entertainer as a whole, I suppose. Watching the big screen and cinema has always been a favorite pastime of mine, so to get to do something that combines the elements of music and theatre of sorts just made this experience so unique and awesome for me.”
On the inspiration for the track, DeVore explained, “'Turn It Off!'” is about slowing down your mind and trying to turn off the constant mental infiltration of static, propaganda, indecision, and just all around clutter. The amount of confusion and frustration driving a constant anxiety that doesn’t allow you to feel nor think clearly. The longing for peace of mind. The thing that was great I suppose you could say about this song was that it had no rhyme or reason initially. It just started pouring out as spontaneous cognition pen to paper. I honestly didn’t even know if it made any sense until I stepped back and looked at it as a whole piece. Then it was crystal clear. I like this as a first single because it has a high rock energy and really grabs you with the rhythm and drums out of the gate."
First inspired by the songwriting and music of Jeff Buckley, Jason DeVore's solo work effortlessly melds rock 'n' roll, folk, punk, reggae, classical, and gospel influences into a vibrant, fresh, and exhilarating sound that is simultaneously daring and innovative, yet unmistakably embodies his incomparable style.
Collaborating with talents such as Bob Hoag (known for his work with The Ataris, Dear and The Headlights, The Format), who produced (with additional production by Jason DeVore and Kristen Taylor), co-engineered and mixed 11 of the album’s 12 tracks, three-time Grammy Award-winner Tom Lord-Alge (credited with projects for Blink-182, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, The Rolling Stones), who mixed the album’s opening track and lead single ("Turn It Off!"), and Grammy Award-winner Jason Livermore (recognized for his work with Rise Against, NOFX, Hot Water Music, Descendents) who mastered the album at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, ''Til The Voice Goes Out' showcases a seasoned DeVore who has reached unparalleled heights in both songwriting and musicianship.
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Music Credits:
Produced by Bob Hoag, with additional production by Jason DeVore and Kristen Taylor
Recorded by Bob Hoag and Kristen Taylor, with additional recording by Jarred Cooper
Mixed by Tom Lord-Alge
Mastered by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room
About Jason Devore
“I started this journey long ago in 1994 with my band Authority Zero,” explained Jason DeVore. “We were just a bunch of kids looking to escape and lose ourselves in music and hang out. We came together that summer and started just jammin’ some chords. I started singing along, and the rest is history.”
It certainly wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Jason DeVore has actually made history. For 30 years, he has been known the world over as both a solo artist and the lead singer of Authority Zero, a band who, alongside alt-rock stalwarts Jimmy Eat World and Gin Blossoms, helped put Arizona on the musical map.
Formed in Mesa, Arizona, Authority Zero quickly dialed in a signature blend of anthemic melodic punk rock with reggae and southwestern influences that perfectly showcased DeVore’s powerful, emotive, and dynamic voice, as evidenced by songs like “One More Minute”, “Revolution”, and the band’s cover of “Mexican Radio”.
For the first decade of the band’s existence, during which time two major-label releases were written and recorded, DeVore was content with writing songs exclusively for Authority Zero. That all changed when he first heard Jeff Buckley.
“Listening to Jeff Buckley’s music quite literally changed my life and outlook on singing,” recalled DeVore. “It was so beautiful and passionate in a way that I had never tapped into with my own songwriting. The melodies, the finesse, the flow, and intensity—it would raise the hairs on my neck. All of it captivated me. I was immediately inspired to pick up an acoustic guitar to learn to play it and to simultaneously learn to sing better and more cohesively.”
Then, once he had written his first batch of Jason DeVore songs, DeVore started going out to open mics and playing his new songs under his own name.
“I simply wanted to play my songs and be heard without the band name tied to it, so I could get an honest response and reaction," said DeVore. “All the while I was thinking to myself, I want to do this. I feel I can do this. I need to do this.”
Unsurprisingly, DeVore’s solo songs received a positive response. And just like that, he was no longer solely the lead singer of Authority Zero, he was now officially Jason DeVore, a solo musician in his own right.
Now, 20 years and three solo albums later (and that’s on top of six new studio albums from Authority Zero during that same span of time), Jason DeVore is ready to release his new full-length album, ‘Til The Voice Goes Out via Double Helix Records (Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.), in collaboration with SBÄM Records (Austria) and Caffeine Bomb Records (Japan).
Nothing short of his magnum opus, '‘Til The Voice Goes Out' reveals a mature DeVore who has reached new heights in songwriting and musicianship.
“This record is what I’ve longed for all three of my past records to be on a professional level,” admitted DeVore. “That goes for every part of it—the production, the performers, and even the songwriting itself. The sheer talent of musicians and producers on this record is beyond any level I’d taken my other albums before, and it is apparent from the very first chord.”
When DeVore first enlisted the help of his dear friend, Kristen Taylor, who operates Underdog Studios in Mesa, Arizona, to help him record and produce a new single, “Courage”, they both
thought it would be a one-and-done project.
“We were having fun in the studio, so we just kept recording until a vision started to form,” DeVore chuckled. “Then, when Double Helix came on board, it was game on—almost as if the wall had been torn down and the possibilities were suddenly endless. The folks at Double Helix kept saying to me over and over again, and I quote, ‘We want this to be the best record you’ve ever made and one that you can be proud of, whatever that takes.’ Those words have not been said to me in ages and it got me so inspired and fired up.”
Newly motivated and with a lofty goal set in his mind, DeVore sought out some of the best local musicians to help him write to their specific instruments and strengths and to play those parts on
the record. He also recruited local legend Bob Hoag (The Ataris, Dear and The Headlights, The Format) to help DeVore and Taylor produce and engineer the record and to mix 11 of the album’s 12 songs at Flying Blanket Studios in Mesa, Arizona. To mix “Turn It Off!”, the album’s first track and lead-off single, DeVore turned to three-time Grammy Award-winner Tom Lord-Alge (Blink-182, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, The Rolling Stones). Lastly, to add the icing to the cake, DeVore asked Grammy Award-winner Jason Livermore (Rise Against, NOFX, Hot Water Music, Descendents) to master the album at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Set to be released on June 7, 2024, DeVore’s finished product, ''Til The Voice Goes Out', seamlessly combines elements of rock 'n' roll, folk, punk, reggae, classical, and gospel music into a sound that is at once bold, new, and exciting and yet distinctly, familiarly, and uniquely signature Jason DeVore.
At times hopeful, energetic, playful, and bombastic and others wistful, regretful, somber, and nostalgic '‘Til The Voice Goes Out' paints the picture of an artist who has seen it all and done it all—and is extremely happy to have lived to tell the tale.
“So much has transpired since my last record and I have gone through a great deal within my band’s career, my personal life, and my broadened outlook on life,” reflected DeVore. “I quit drinking alcohol over two years ago and that has changed everything in my life for the better— physically, lyrically, mentally, you name it. I’ve truly found myself again. The unique thing about this record is that it really is a ‘healing’ record for me. Half of these songs, ‘Count Me In’ being one of them, were written while I was on tour overseas and at my very my lowest point before putting down the bottle. The other half of these songs were written upon my awakening and transition to clarity. It’s been quite a journey to say the least.”
So DeVore—now older, wiser, and happier—stands poised to once again step out from Authority Zero’s shadow to put his solo art out there for the masses to see how they will receive it, just like he did those many years ago when his solo career first started.
“My only hope is that people will enjoy this record as much as I’ve enjoyed making it,” concluded DeVore. “This has been such a magical and personal journey from start to finish and my heart is on my sleeve yet again on this record. I genuinely hope it takes the listener on a musical and mental journey that covers both the best of times in life and the hardest of times because it is important to remember and embrace them all. Life is short and we’re meant to live it.”
