Jesse Malin is a veteran songwriter who can trace his origins back to the days of New York hardcore to the Punk Rock and Singer-Songwriter touring scenes. His development has found him not locked into one genre, but growing and redefining himself as his talents expanded.
The Art Of Self-Destruction, Malin’s 2003 Artemis Records debut release, earned him kudos from The London Times, writing that “Malin writes vivid songs with killer tunes and sings them with scary conviction.” That started him down a road that saw him release 10 more albums over the next 16-years, while touring tirelessly, building a loyal following.
In the early 2000’s Malin met Lucinda Williams at a Jazz club in NYC’s West Village. She later invited him to see her open for what turned out to be Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers last concert in 2017, leading Williams to produce Malin’s next album, Sunset Kids, which received accolades from the music scene. That experience inspired a future song, “Shining Down,” about “keeping alive the spirit of the ones we’ve lost.”
“It’s all been about survival and reinvention. I wanted to make an open-sounding record with the space to tell these stories,” says Malin. “I like to write about characters and people I meet along the way. The dreamers, schemers, hustlers, romantics, lovers, leavers and believers.”
In 2020 survival and reinvention became a lifeline for Malin during the initial lockdown, the quarantine months and the pandemic that continues to rage around the country. He’s been keeping the PMA- positive mental attitude- alive with his livestream series, The Fine Art of Self Distancing, a near-weekly broadcast from the downtown NYC venue, Bowery Electric. This series has been named one of the best livestreams by Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. Proceeds from ticket sales go to Malin’s band, crew, Bowery Electric and NIVA/Save Our Stages.
Jesse Malin has been writing new tunes during these unusual times. Two new songs, “Backstabbers” and “Todd Youth,” feature Malin’s gift for writing “vivid songs with killer tunes.” New music from Malin should arrive sometime this year.
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