Now this fella Jason McIver and I go wayyyyyyy back, all the way to the mid 2000’s in fact when I was still a pro muso plying my wares on the circuit in Central Wellington’s vibrant live scene of the day. A young, talented chap used to play a lot of the bars I played. We sank the odd beer, talked the odd song. And carried on our merry ways. He went to Auckland and formed Heathen Eyes, and his career has been pretty much a constant since then.

I actually signed him for my label back in the mid 2010s, and his band saw national TV performances, Juice TV video hits, singles and albums charting in the NZ national indie charts, and so forth. Yes, I was an indie music marketing genius as I always knew – but without the talent of the acts I would have been pushing sh*t uphill.

I’m thrilled that now Jason McIver is returning to the scene, with powerful new single Old Strangers. Recorded by Allister Meffan and mastered at Downbeat Mastering, Jason played the guitars, added the percussion and lead vocal parts. Allister added the keys, bass, trumpet and programming parts. This has collectively (see what I did there?) come across as a very polished, professional piece indeed.

We have some rich acoustic riffing, supported by some chords and gorgeous strings. The bottom end is nicely velvety without being imposing, but still present enough for a lot of warmth. Vocally I always knew Jason as being someone with a very powerful baritone range, stretching into tenor with ease. For term of reference for this single, think of the vocal performance of one mister Billy Idol in introspective mood (Eyes Without A Face, Sweet Sixteen, that sort of vibe), and the timbre is a slightly punchier version of that.

The melody, and lyrics, are what I’d call commercially viable melancholy. It feels like a lament of sorts, but I must quickly add that it’s not grim or a dirge in any way. I’m talking commercially positive here. This is a good record indeed. There’s an accompanying video that’s to be released with the track on streaming platforms on 4th August. I won’t add spoilers for the vid but it’s really artfully shot, hits great light and is not cluttered. Just how I like a vid for this sort of number. Slow tempo, laid back but intense and compelling.

Songwriting-wise, this is a clear evolutionary step for Jason McIver, and I’m liking what I hear. His new EP, the first in a few years (so yay for this!) will be coming some time in 2025, so if this is the calibre of the material, we’re in for a real audio feast. His stuff was damn good before, so I can’t wait for the next chapter in his tale.

The Jason McIver Collective – save the name. You’ll like this!