Baby Jey was founded by two singer-songwriters – Jeremy Witten and Dean Kheroufi. For their forthcoming new record, Someday Cowboy, they threw Montreal producer Mitch Holtby into the mix. His multi-genre background spans a hip hop career that saw him open for acts like Big Boi, Cadence Weapon, Buck 65 and Chali 2na. This unique match between singer-songwriters and a hip hop producer may partially explain the album’s unique blend of shimmery synths and pulsing rhythms with lap steel guitar and jangling mandolins.
You can hear the first single on Soundcloud and Spotify!
When they wrote these songs, they were listening to all kinds of different stuff. Lots of country music from the 80s like Tanya Tucker, Keith Whitley and Johnny Lee, lots of soft rock like America and Carole King, lots of Prince. I guess their first single – “Someday My Space Cowboy Will Come” – is a play on “Someday My Prince Will Come.” It’s a fun little tune about having a mirage in the desert.
Someday Cowboy was recorded in two days in Jeremy’s childhood home – they wanted a cozy and intimate setting to record and were too broke to rent a studio. There’s a certain feeling of nostalgia to a lot of the album’s lyrics – they reminisce about tobogganing as kids and dreaming about cowboys, so it’s fitting that Jeremy was able to play the same piano that he first learned on. Since Someday Cowboy was recorded live off the floor in a living room, the piano had to be covered in blankets to prevent the sound from leaking to other mics.
The release of Someday Cowboy on September 14th (on NYC label Maintenance Records) will mark an important transition for both Dean and Jeremy as they move to New York City. Jeremy has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to complete an M.A. in History at The New School, while Dean is set to begin working full-time in the city. They plan to continue performing and will begin recording a new album in late 2018. Hit them up for a private stream if you can’t wait until September to hear Someday Cowboy!
