Jordan Jeffares hadn’t released an album since 2006 but the Atlanta, Georgian-born musician has suddenly gained a surge in attention for his musical moniker because of his musical namesake’s similarity with NSA leaking fugitive, Edward Snowden.
Jeffares is the frontman behind the band Snowden, who are named after a fictional character from the novel Catch-22 and not the most wanted man in the world who’s currently hiding out in Russia to escape charges of espionage for leaking confidential security information.
But as Radio.com reports, Snowden – the band – has gained in popularity by association in the media attention over the manhunt for Snowden – the real-life turncoat spy.
“I can’t take any credit or try to align myself with what this guy is absolutely risking his life to do,” says Jeffares, who acknowledges the coincidental attention as strangely humorous, but also has respect for the real-life Snowden. Saying his decision to expose NSA’s data mining procedures as heroic, not traitorous.
“I totally agree with it. I think it’s brave and heroic to put your stuff on the line… I don’t know what his motives are,” says the now Texas-based musician. “I don’t know if they’re completely pure, regardless of what they are. But it’s simply neat to be tied in with that, if only by name.” “I can’t take any credit or try to align myself with what this guy is absolutely risking his life to do.” Jordan Jeffares, Snowden
The musicians says that the band has gained more traffic to his official website, Facebook, and Twitter, since Edward Snowden hit the headlines, despite not being able to track a significant boost in listenership, Snowden’s may see a growth in popularity as Jeffares tours to promote the release of No One In Control, the band’s first full-length release in seven years.
A regular listener to public radio and politics news shows like This American Life and Fresh Air while on the road for the tour, Jeffares’ first Snowden album was the politically-minded Anti-Anti, released on indie label Jade Tree in 2006. After staffing shake-ups at Jade Tree, Snowden found themselves without a home, until none other than Kings Of Leon picked them up for their Nashville-based Serpents and Snakes Records.
“We are the weird band on the label,” Jeffares says of Snowden’s position as the oddballs on a roster populated by The Features, Turbo Fruits, The Weeks. An EP, 2010’s Slow Soft Syrup, marked his first release for the Kings of Leon-founded label, but Jeffares says that his latest, No One In Control is “much less political.”
“I wasn’t trying to preach as much on the second record. I ended up writing from the heart instead of the head, I think,” he says, earnestly noting “romantic and sexy” emotions for the new record. “Instead of trying to dodge writing ballads, I went ahead and just relaxed and let them come out,” he continues; “I guess because [George W.] Bush wasn’t in office anymore, I was able to relax a little bit.”
It’s not everyday that a global criminal helps you discover new music, but Jeffares is appreciative of the associated attention, no matter how bizarre.
