Jared Putnam of The March Divide

Jared Putnam of The March Divide

The March Divide | "Bribing Jace" EP | S/R | Nov. 4th, 2016

 

Bio:

San Antonio-based songwriter, Jared Putnam, leader of the sometimes more, but usually one-man pop-rock band, The March Divide, is prolific.  It’s a word used often, and often misused, but when it comes to Putnam, it applies.

As such, The March Divide, hot on the heels of the May, 2016 album release, Saturdays, announces the upcoming five-song follow-up EP, “Bribing Jace,” arriving Nov. 4th, 2016“Bribing Jace” marks the first release for Putnam after a total of three albums and three EPs in just three years.

“There’s an untapped type of pop music that I’ve been on a quest to make,” Putnam says, explaining the sound of “Bribing Jace,”going on to further describe it as, “not redefined, just redesigned.” Putnam continues, saying, “While I’ve never really been willing to sacrifice a song to an experiment, I went as close to all-in as I could this time. Chasing this white whale was a lot of fun!” 

“Bribing Jace” contains three songs recorded during the Saturdays sessions that Putnam loved, but felt didn’t quite fit the feel of the album, and two brand-new tracks, including the single, “That Song I Wrote For You.”

“I don’t typically write my songs in one sitting, but I love it when I do,” Putnam says of the tune. “I wrote it all at once, in a Harlingen, TX hotel room. Lyrically, it’s just about moving on.”“There’s an untapped type of pop music that I’ve been on a quest to make,” Putnam says, explaining the sound of “Bribing Jace,”going on to further describe it as, “not redefined, just redesigned.” Putnam continues, saying, “While I’ve never really been willing to sacrifice a song to an experiment, I went as close to all-in as I could this time. Chasing this white whale was a lot of fun!” 

“Bribing Jace” contains three songs recorded during the Saturdays sessions that Putnam loved, but felt didn’t quite fit the feel of the album, and two brand-new tracks, including the single, “That Song I Wrote For You.”

“I don’t typically write my songs in one sitting, but I love it when I do,” Putnam says of the tune. “I wrote it all at once, in a Harlingen, TX hotel room. Lyrically, it’s just about moving on.”

While the core of “That Song I Wrote For You” is folk-based, Putnam explains that he approached the production with pop in mind.

“When I demo my songs, I record all the percussion by slapping my merch tub with a sock on my hand,” he says, giving us a peek behind the curtain. After hearing the demo, Putnam’s producer picked up on the pop cues immediately. “He told me, ‘I’ve got this Katy Perry kick drum sample that’ll really bring it home!’ I never thought I’d share anything with Katy Perry, but we’re both getting all we can out of that kick drum sound,” Putnam jokes.

“I had written a lot of songs,” Putnam goes on to say of what brought him back to releasing records in 2013, after six years of public silence between ending the non-stop touring of his band The Conversation (which shared stages with The StrokesArcade FireAgainst Me! and more), and the start of The March Divide.

Getting back into gear, Putnam released The March Divide’s debut album Music for Film in 2013, preceded by the prophetic comeback single, “Still Analog,” which was dubbed The March Divide’s “proverbial theme song” by The Vinyl District. Austin’s NPR-affiliate KUTX immediately declared, “this album kicks butt.”

Encouraged by the welcomed return, Putnam hasn’t let up on the gas since.

Two EPs, “Music For Television,” and “Four” followed, a second album, Billions, arrived in 2014 (featuring the single “I Told You So,” which has racked up more than a half-million Apple Music streams), with another follow-up EP, “+1” arriving in 2015. Putnam’s latest album Saturdays was released in May, 2016, to be followed by “Bribing Jace,” scheduled for Nov. 4th.

Putnam has continued to tour all along, and will reach the west coast to support “Bribing Jace” in November, following a strong of dates supporting Garrett Klahn of Texas Is The Reason.

“Bribing Jace,” the latest EP from The March Divide, following three full-length and three EP releases over the past three years, arrives on Nov. 4th, 2016, preceded by the single, “That Song I Wrote For You.”

News:

Press Quotes:

Bittersweet beauty.
— Impose
Catchy hooks and memorable lines.
— Innocent Words
Big Star-informed, strummy acoustic reverie.
— BLURT
Eloquently simple and concise, Putnam’s lyrics are immediately relatable. His experience and memory transfer directly from the song to the listener.
— Atwood Magazine
A lovely surprise.
— Independent Clauses
Completely clever.
— Performer
Impressively hooky.
— American Songwriter
Gifted with a serious set of pipes.
— The Aquarian
His work is uniformly intimate and thoroughly emotional.
— Nooga
Quality pop at its best.
— Popdose
All about lyrics and melodies.
— Babysue

TOUR DATES:

  • 2/03/2017: San Antonio, TX @ Ventura
  • 2/04/2017: Fort Stockton, TX @ The Garage
  • 3/23/2017: San Antonio, TX @ Sanchos
  • 3/30/2017: Amarillo, TX @ Leftwoods
  • 3/31/2017: Albuquerque, NM @ Moonlight Lounge
  • 4/01/2017: El Paso, TX @ El Paso Brewing Co.
  • 4/08/2017: Wichita Falls, TX @ The Deep End
  • 4/13/2017: New Orleans, LA @ Checkpoint Charlies
  • 4/14/2017: Galveston, TX @ MOD Coffeehouse
  • 4/15/2017: Houston, TX @ Bohemeo's
  • 4/22/2017: San Antonio, TX @ The Point Park & Eats
  • 5/06/2017: Saldo, TX @ Barrow Brewing Co.
  • 5/11/2017: Austin, TX @ Sahara Lounge
  • 5/27/2017: San Antonio, TX @ The Point Park & Eats

Press Releases:

ON THE WEB:

Assets:

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

Jared Putnam of The March Divide as photographed by Greg Gabrisch. Click for hi-res.

"Bribing Jace" EP cover art. Click for hi-res.

"Bribing Jace" EP cover art. Click for hi-res.