JBNG are a grunge-rock fusion band based in British Columbia, Canada whose style is a mix of influences and who have a very modern and healing origin story. The brainchild of vocalist and frontman Jaben John Groome, JBNG have already released one full album, entitled Meh, since their formation in 2023. It gained them a strong fanbase quite quickly. Now poised to release their second album, Run, it’s clear something has clicked into place for these lifelong musicians, starting with Groome’s vocals.
Groome grew up playing bass in bands and collaborated on a number of singles before forming JBNG, but never thought to take up the mic as a vocalist. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder earlier in life, however, Groome was always looking for ways to calm his anxiety when it hit. In 2023, he found there was something soothing in singing. “I learned it helps, switching the nervous system out of fight or flight mode,” he admitted in a recent interview.
It turned out that doing his own vocals was the key to the cohesive sound Groome was looking for in a project. Once he found his musical cohorts in Alejandro Yoshizawa on lead guitar, Jonathon Goldie on Rhythm, Tim Charman on bass and Matt Koopman on drums, it seems that sound has now just flowed forth from JBNG.
Said sound is a true mix of many indie genres with a grunge edge. While Groome names his influences as diverse as Buddy Holly, Zepplin, Hendrix, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and The Pixies, JBNG‘s actual sound swings the pendulum even wider, with indie pop tones that will invoke the Goo Goo Dolls or Urge Overkill all the way to conceptual post punk a’la Tom Waits or Nick Cave, and everything in between. Far from being limiting, Groome’s distinctive heavy, raspy vocal timbre has opened up a world of possibilities for the band, as it pairs with any style they can come up with and give it an edge that will draw all sorts of music lovers from all sorts of genres.
JBNG have taken this creative license on their first two albums, churning out an already rich discography that’s both personal to the band and relatable to their fans. It’s no wonder they’ve become popular so quickly, as rock fans have been clamoring for music like this as grunge and hard rock make a resurgence. With their creativity now flowing in earnest and Run set to release as singles over the next year with videos in the works as well, fans will get to watch this unique band reveal itself as it goes in even more directions, anchored by a unique voice that was originally used as a healing technique for its vocalist.
