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John June Year is an American rock band formed in Clinton, Iowa in 2011 consisting of Greg Heysinger (vocals, guitar), Colin Sullivan (lead guitar), and Kyle Talbot (keyboards).

History

John June Year was formed in January 2011 by founding members Colin Sullivan and Greg Heysinger. The two met in high school, where they found a mutual interest for playing and creating music. Influenced by The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles and other bands, they wanted to figure out what kind of music they could create together with no initial goals in mind. The two wrote and recorded multiple songs via digital technology and soon recruited long-time friend and drummer Kyle Saddoris. Later, they added Dan Fogg on bass guitar. Before long, the four guys had created multiple songs and were practicing frequently. In August of 2011, bassist Dan Fogg left the band due to other priorities. Soon after, mutual friend Brent Clausen joined the band on bass guitar. The band performed their first show at a Halloween party in an Iowa City home in October 2011. John June Year eventually began playing multiple gigs and performing original music, along with various cover songs around the midwest. The band name is not quite as random as it seems. While no member of the band has the name John, a manager at a previous workplace of Kyle and Greg had the name John Jr. and Greg explained him as, "one of the strangest human beings" that he had ever met. June, was the month in which their first demo was recorded. These two factors together created the band name.

The Lester Crabgrass Collection (2011)

Since forming the band in the Winter of 2011, Sullivan and Heysinger were ready to show their friends what they have been working on. The two went on to record a four track, self-recorded demo in the basement of Heysinger's home. The duo recorded all tracks on the demo themselves, not having a drummer or bassist permanently in the band at that point. The Lester Crabgrass Collection was released in June of 2011 but was short-lived; the demo is rare and not easy to find nowadays. The inspiration for the title is unknown.

The Lester Crabgrass Collection tracklisting Untitled 'JJY' Demo (2011-2012)
 * 1) If I Had Known You Were a Brick Breaker
 * 2) Steppin' Stone (The Monkees cover)
 * 3) Weak Bone
 * 4) Monsoon Moon

In between frequent gigs, the band was constantly practicing and writing new material. The band had clearly become more prolific with the quick releases. This time around, the four-piece recorded the tracks at their practice space in Clinton, IA over the course of a few months. The writing for this release was more collaborative between the band with Clausen and Saddoris having more input musically. The tracks were recorded onto Heysinger’s laptop computer and were eventually released in the Winter of 2012 digitally and via compact disc. The CD’s were handed out for free at gigs. Similar to The Lester Crabgrass Collection, these are rare with only a few copies floating around.

Untitled 'JJY' Demo tracklisting Translations EP (2012)
 * 1) Weak Bone
 * 2) Woke Up to a Dream
 * 3) Watch Out, Silver!
 * 4) Kentucky Knife Fight
 * 5) Shaping the Shift

Primary songwriters Greg Heysinger and Colin Sullivan had written an ample amount of songs before entering Skylark Studios in Davenport, IA to record the band’s debut EP. The band spent a weekend in May 2012 recording the tracks. Before entering the studio, all other releases from the band were self-recorded and produced. Sullivan, Clausen, Heysinger, and Saddoris wasted no time the first day in the studio with producer Justin Farley. Kyle had recorded the drum tracks, and Brent had recorded the bass tracks by the end of the first day in the studio. The following day, guitarists Heysinger and Sullivan had cut their guitar parts for each song. The duo spent hours dialing in guitar tones and layering guitar tracks. On the final day, producer Justin Farley recommended recording some extra tracks, such as keyboard/piano, and extra guitar tracks. Heysinger and Clausen handled those duties. Vocalist Greg Heysigner also completed all four vocal parts for the EP. After a few weeks in mixing and mastering, the band had their first professionally-recorded music ready for release. The band enabled Translations for online streaming in the Summer of 2012, and eventually had it available for purchase/download on January 18, 2013.

Translations tracklisting Lounge Lizard, lineup change, music video (2012-2013)
 * 1) Mind Boosting Secrets
 * 2) Watch Out, Silver!
 * 3) Weak Bone
 * 4) Shaping the Shift

Bassist Brent Clausen eventually began not being able to keep up with the frequent gigs, and had to miss several. Friend of the band, Michael Handley, filled in for Clausen on multiple shows, and eventually become a permanent member a short time later. Clausen played a final show with John June Year in September of 2012 at the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA. Clausen parted ways without animosity. During the Winter of 2012, Heysinger had become friendly with an employee at a frequent venue the band played at in Cedar Falls, IA. That employee is current keyboard player, Kyle Talbot. Talbot approached Heysinger expressing interest in the band, starting out as a fan of the live show John June Year displayed. Eventually, Talbot began practicing with the band and became a full-time member. While playing multiple shows and gaining a following, the band was eager to release more music. The five re-entered the studio in Davenport, IA with previous producer Justin Farley to record a two-song release. The band recorded the two songs in March of 2013, and released them to the public on April 24, 2013. This has been the band’s most successful and receptive release to date.

Lounge Lizard - EP tracklisting In June of 2013, both Handley and Saddoris left the band. The band currently has two touring members: drummer Seth Luloff and bassist Cory Talbot, Kyle Talbot's elder brother. In August of 2013, the band filmed their debut music video for their track Lounge Lizard. The video was filmed in Clinton, IA at the band's practice space. It was released via YouTube a few weeks later. The video has been receptive to the long-time fans of John June Year, and is reeling in several other new listeners.
 * 1) Lounge Lizard
 * 2) Dangerous Range

Performances

John June Year performs mainly in Iowa City and Cedar Falls. They also have gigs in Clinton, Des Moines, Ames and other areas around the Midwest. You can find them frequently playing at the following venues:
 * The HuB, Cedar Falls
 * Gabes, Iowa City
 * Blue Moose, Iowa City
 * Gingers Pub, Cedar Falls

The band participated in a Battle of the Bands at Hook's Pub in Clinton, IA on May 31, 2013. John June Year came out with a victory after a competitive battle against Manic Depressive Teddy Bears, Johnny Outlaw and Indocile.

Another notable performance was on August 8, 2013 when Kyle, Colin and Greg were interviewed on KRUI 87.9 FM. The trio performed multiple acoustic versions of their original songs live.

John June Year focuses primarily on their live performances. They have been working to develop a strong stage presence by playing at various shows throughout Iowa. These shows are, Envy Corps, Bright Giant and Iowa City's own Olympics.

If you're interested in going to watch John June Year live, like their Facebook page, or follow them on Twitterto get an updated list of their shows.

Reviews

Anyone who has read about John June Year would know that people really enjoy their music as well as their on stage energy and all around live performance. John June Year was written about in Little Village Iowa City's News and Culture Magazine on August 9, 2013. This article, written by John Miller, featured a quote from Andrew Thoreen(founder of Slimbeast Productions) a band that creates, "Unforgettable melodies, thick synth and guitar textures, and an emphasis on honest, spacious songwriting that can only be found on the Midwest." One listener shared his opinion on iTunes, "Completely blew me away" he said about Lounge Lizard and Dangerous Range on July 11, 2013. Both of which are available for purchase on iTunes.

Interviews

John June Year has had multiple interviews. These range in professionalism, from friends and bloggers to radio stations. Mitch Ingstad, a blogger and friend who writes about the Iowa Music Scene, interviewed Greg on October 4, 2012. In this interview we learn the story of the band name, some of John June Year's influences and other miscellaneous information like the most embarrassing stage moment Greg experienced. On August 8, 2013 KRUI 87.9 FM interviewed three of the band members as stated above. This interview lasted about 20 minutes and was aired live. This interview revealed that the band describes themselves as an indie rock band with balls. They take pride in being a five piece band.

Social Media

Keeping up to date with John June Year could not be easier. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Each of these sites will provide you with information about their upcoming shows as well as what they have recently done. You can view their music video on Facebook as well as other performances on YouTube. On their Tumblr you can find and purchase merchandise including t-shirts, tanks and cozies. Find out what's going on and don't miss out on any more of John June Year!
 * Facebook
 * Tumblr
 * Twitter
 * YouTube