Jocelyn and Chris are sibling blues-rock music artists from Upstate New York. Jocelyn sings lead vocals and plays piano, while Chris plays lead and rhythm guitar. The two write all of their music together as a brother-sister team.[1]
Biography
Group history
Jocelyn and Chris grew up in Fort Plain, a small town in rural upstate New York.[2] The two siblings both began music lessons in elementary school. Jocelyn started learning piano in fourth grade after receiving her first electric keyboard. Chris began guitar lessons just a few months later.[3]
Jocelyn and Chris began performing publicly at local talent shows, festivals, and fairs.[4] Their first public performance was at a local benefit talent show when Jocelyn was 12 and Chris was 11, where they performed a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". In middle school, they formed their own band "The Dependents.”[5] They were performing under this moniker at the Fonda Fair in Fonda, NY, when they were approached by producer/manager David Bourgeois. The two subsequently signed a development deal with Bourgeois' music development company, Bridge Road Entertainment, in Albany, NY, in 2013.[6]
In the following years, Jocelyn & Chris have released two studio EPs (Strangers in Fairyland and Still: A Holiday Collection), three full-length albums (Edges, Go, and The Fun in the Fight), and two live LPs (30,000 Miles and One Night in November) all under Bridge Road Entertainment.[7][8] Their fourth full-length album Favorite Ghosts was released in June 2022.[9]
Musical inspiration
Jocelyn & Chris grew up listening to a large variety of music, including blues, jazz, folk, rock, and pop. The duo frequently credit their parents' large CD collection with having had a huge impact on their current musical style.[10] When they began to write their own original music together in middle school, this diverse range of musical influences led to the formation of a distinctive sound that has been described as "an affinity for retro grooves and classic rock moves with a unique, modern twist."[11]
Education
In addition to their musical careers, both Jocelyn and Chris are alumni of Harvard University. Jocelyn graduated in May 2017, while Chris graduated a year later in May 2018.[12]
Television
In a 2017 interview with Music Connection Magazine, Jocelyn revealed that she has been approached by casting agents from NBC's The Voice on two separate occasions. In both cases she declined to pursue the opportunity, opting instead to continue to write, record, and tour with her brother and their band.
[13] A December 2017 EdgeTV Network article about the group's music video for single "Red Stops Traffic" noted that Jocelyn had also turned down an opportunity to appear on the new FOX music competition show The Four.
On March 7, 2019, Jocelyn & Chris and their band performed their song "Outta My Head" live on NBC's Today Show.[14]
On March 7, 2019, Jocelyn & Chris and their band appeared live on NBC's Today Show to perform their song "Outta My Head".[14]
Release history
Debut album Edges
Edges was released in March 2016. Special guest G. Love played harmonica on track 6, "Hot."[19] The album debuted on the Relix National Jambands Top 30 Chart at #17 in April 2016, remaining on the chart for six consecutive months and peaking in August 2016 at #14.[23][24][25][26][27][28]
Live album 30,000 Miles
On January 10, 2017, Jocelyn & Chris's first live album, 30,000 Miles, premiered via streaming with Glide Magazine.[29]30,000 Miles entered the Relix National Jamband Top 30 Chart at #8 in February 2017, continuing to appear on the chart through March and moving back up to #8 in April.[30][31][32]
The first month of its release, Go appeared at #2 on the Relix National Jamband Top 30 Chart. It remained in the #2 position through July, dropping to #9 in August and #10 in September.[34][35][36][37][38] The album dropped off the chart in October, but as of November 2017 had reappeared at #17.[39][40]
In December 2017, "Red Stops Traffic," track 6 on Go and the album's third radio single, debuted on the BillboardAAA Top 40 Indicator Chart at #37,[41] and peaked at #35.[42]
LP The Fun in the Fight
On November 5, 2018, Jocelyn and Chris premiered "Outta My Head," the leadoff single for a new full-length album titled The Fun in the Fight, via Parade Magazine.[43] Jam single "Be That as It May," featuring special guests Cory Wong of Vulfpeck and Danny Louis from Gov't Mule, premiered in Relix on December 21.[21]
The Fun in the Fight was released on February 22, 2019.[9] The first week of its release, it reached #1 on the Relix Jambands Top 30 Album Chart.[44] It also debuted at #50 on the AMA Albums Chart.[45] In subsequent weeks, "Outta My Head" broke into the Billboard Triple A Indicator Top 40, peaking at #33.[46] On June 10, the second single from The Fun in the Fight, "Kill in the Cure," impacted radio, where it was the #1 Most Added Single to Triple A radio in its first week. Following this debut, it entered the Triple A Indicator Top 40, peaking at #29 on the chart.[47]
Live Album One Night in November
On February 14, 2020, Jocelyn and Chris released One Night in November, a collection of acoustic re-imaginings of several previously released tracks in addition to one new original song. The entire album was recorded in front of an intimate audience at White Lake Studios in Upstate New York. The new original track, titled "Mercy Me," was premiered by American Songwriter, who praised the entire LP's "raw, impressive intimacy" and noted that the acoustic format of the record "allows the band to lean into and further explore each song's unshakable roots."[48] Following its release, One Night in November debuted on the Relix Jambands Top 30 Album Chart at #27 in February, reaching #1 the next month and then moving back to #22 in April.[49][50][51]
LP Favorite Ghosts
In early 2020, Jocelyn & Chris announced that they were in the studio working on their fifth studio album.[52] The ten-track effort was produced by longtime collaborator David Bourgeois in addition to 7-time Grammy winner Joel Moss.[53] On June 17, 2021, the album's leadoff single "Sugar and Spice" and its accompanying music video premiered with American Songwriter, who called the track "pure American-rock-goodness."[54] In addition to charting in the BillboardAdult Album Alternative Top 40, the "Sugar and Spice" music video was featured on MTV.[55] On October 15, 2021, "Skeleton Key" was released as the second single from Favorite Ghosts. The final pre-release single, "Run Away," was released along with its music video on April 8, 2022.[56]
Following its release to radio, "Run Away" was the #1 Most Added single to Triple A radio in the US in its first week, tied with Nikki Lane's "First High."[57] The following week, the track debuted on the Billboard Triple A Indicator Top 40 at #34.[58]
Favorite Ghosts release timeline
On June 17, 2022, Jocelyn and Chris released their fourth studio album Favorite Ghosts. Jocelyn and Chris opted for an unconventional record release strategy, citing their personal commitment to radio as well as their desire for listeners to experience the album as a complete body of work. To that end, the complete record is currently available exclusively to radio as well as for online physical and digital sale, but will not be released in full to audio streaming service providers until fall 2022. Instead, digital streaming rollout will occur through a series of "chapters" over the course of several months.[59]
^"Americana Radio Albums Chart". Americana Music Association. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
^ ab"BDSRadio Charts". Billboard. May 11, 2019. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
^ ab"BDS Radio Charts". Billboard. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.