Blending warm electric guitar, raw vocals and dampened drums, the Joggers form a thick vintage sound that cushions their bleak but not entirely hopeless lyrical themes. What the band lacks in bells and whistles they make up for with a sincere sense of nostalgia that agrees with their charismatic live performances and minimalistic approach to instrumentals.
Like any old pair of boots, Cody Goertzen (guitar/vocals) and Adam Hill (drums), work better together. Stepping away from the good old days with Odder than the Otters right into and out the other side of a global pandemic has seemed to only enliven their deeply rooted writing partnership. Tying together dry retrospective lyrics with simple steady grooves, the Joggers build a stable foundation out of what feels right in the moment. This tends to be unpolished but comfortable, with enough room for the rest of the band to wiggle their toes from time to time.
After returning from tour in ‘22, Goertzen and Hill went into No Fun Club Recording Studio for a two day live off the floor session where they recorded the bulk of their EP Going Nowhere. The three tracks that were written throughout various lockdowns while the two were stuck inside straightening out their sound all stem from personal past experiences surrounding sketchy jobs, hometown funerals and unhealthy habits. Following the release of their isolation inspired EP are a batch of home recorded singles about leaving people, places and old ways behind.
The Joggers first full-length album, released fall ‘24, is all about love, loss and getting old while carrying on through life with the weight of these experiences. The self produced album, Weight of it, encapsulates missed opportunities, fleeting relationships and a handful of people who have shaped the band over the last thirty odd years. The heavier side intertwines grieving the loss of a loved one with growing old and lonely while the lighter side tells stories of fast love and heartbreak at a motel in Memphis, hazy nights at a bowling alley in South Osborne and lifelong friendships, for better or for worse. Microphone bleed, lively band chatter and the sizzle of a bathtub drain chain are just some of the intricacies that glue together this album recorded in a basement with the band and a couple of pals.