Published January 27, 2025
Interview by Meghan Killimade
Tell us about yourself! How did you get started in music and what kind of music are you creating?
I’m J. Edmond, a musician, writer (songs and short stories), and radio host (Unlikely Places Radio Talk Show, Star 99.9 FM and 99.1 PLR FM). I started making music when I was 16 and originally went by the name Jebb as an indie alternative artist. As I developed, I noticed I had a natural songwriting ability, similar to Bob Dylan, where songs come to me easily. At first, I struggled to fully harness this talent, but with the help of books like The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, I’m finding my way to becoming a more focused writer as J.Edmond.
You’ll be playing at The Golden Owl here in New London on Friday January 31 – is this your first time playing in New London? What are the show details and what can folks expect from your set?
Yes, it’s always a major honor to play in this great city! This is actually my second time performing in New London—my first was with Radio Donta, James MacPherson of Bonsai Trees, and Old Pup, thanks to IRS Booking. This time around, I was able to book the show myself with my friends Matt Numa and Matthew Graham (editor and co-host of Unlikely Places Radio Talk Show). Matthew Graham is even making the trip all the way from Vermont. My set will be packed with originals, and I’ve written a few new songs, so I’ll be debuting those as well! Isolated Dew has been rewritten, and I’ll be performing it live in its new style for the first time here.
EDIT: The Golden Owl show has been postponed as of 1/29 - stay tuned for a new date!
You released 2 singles in 2024 – “Search Lights” and “City Walk” – tell us about the songs and your songwriting process!
Coming right off my full concept album, Space Ship Truth, I wanted to leave the Jebb name with that record—one of my all-time favorites. It was co-written with Owen Radford from Ohio and featured many incredible guests, including Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Beck), Terry Draper (Klaatu), Derrick Bostrom (The Meat Puppets), and more!
My writing process is unpredictable. Sometimes, a song just comes to me, and I have to run for a pen and paper or yell, “Siri, make a note!” before the idea fades. Other times, I’ll be sitting in a diner, overhearing a conversation, and—boom—song idea! That’s exactly how Search Lights happened. I’ve got a YouTube video coming soon about this, hoping to inspire others!
Then, the answer came: the radio job of a lifetime popped up, leading me to work as an on-air host for 99.1 PLR and Star 99.9. As I settled in, my manager, David Skaff, and I decided to bring Unlikely Places back—this time as a talk show, since I loved having guests on. I asked our editor, Matthew Graham—who will also be performing at The Golden Owl show with his originals—to join us as a co-host.
So far, we’ve welcomed incredible guests like Madeline Bocaro (author of a book on Yoko Ono), Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups, and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies. We have a full lineup of guests planned, and we’re slowly getting to them as we now air Unlikely Places twice a month on Mad Wasp Radio in England. All info can be found under the Unlikely Places tab on my website.
What are you looking forward to in the new year? New music? Touring? Any goals/dreams? Other projects?
I’ve got a big project coming out in 2026/2027 that I’ve already started—a book/album combo titled Journey to Starlights (editor, Josh Bradley). It’s about: Deff, a struggling musician whose life takes a surreal turn when he, his girlfriend Dani, and his best friend April stumble into a mysterious fantasy world. With the help of Jack, a wise record store owner, they navigate this strange new reality—until tragedy strikes. Grief over Dani’s loss leads him to a deepening love for April, but the world around them grows more unpredictable. The story is framed by the narration of podcast/radio host Earl Stevens, who presents their journey like a podcast. This novel blends music, love, and loss into an unforgettable exploration of self-discovery. The album features 10 songs (including City Walk, Search Lights, and Isolated Dew), and so does the book. Each chapter reflects the emotions conveyed in the lyrics of the songs.
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