Album Notes

"[Jake is] a modest version of U2, Jessie Lee Montague is the female Bono..."
-Seth Rogovoy, WAMC Northeast Public Radio


Jake is a dynamic, street-smart New York band that has created its own unique blend of modern rock and alternative pop. From growling rock to soulful, sultry tunes that stir the imagination, frontwoman Jessie Lee Montague's beguiling, feline vocals and emotive lyrics pull it all together. After releasing their debut CD (Hooked) on Atlantic's Blackbird Records, the band has achieved critical acclaim and a steadily growing regional following with Bloodblue and Snake Road, which they released on their own Desert Dog Records. Jake recently completed their 4th album, Bridge, which is scheduled for release on May 4, 2004.

Jake signed their first album deal with Atlantic's Blackbird Records. Their debut CD, Hooked, sold thousands of copies nationwide and is still one of Blackbird's largest selling releases. Jake's single, Heaven, was also released on the Island Records' soundtrack for the Oliver Stone production "Gravesend." Jake's 1999 release, Bloodblue, took the band to the next level. After hearing Bloodblue's first single, Evil, the Oxygen Network chose Jake as a semifinalist in its "Roxygen on Oxygen" female musical artist search and invited the band to perform as part of its 2000 Tank Tour. Bloodblue was chosen best CD at the Fall 1999 Indie Music Forum and landed the band a finalist slot in the Sennheiser Evolution Band Contest, an invitation to showcase at NEMO 2000, a track on the NEMO 2000 compilation CD and a showcase at the 2000 Atlantis Music Conference.

2001 brought even greater success. With Jake's album, Snake Road, they received both critical acclaim and a regional following that has blossomed into a movement. They sold out the first pressing of the album within a few months. The first single "Cowboy" was placed in the CBS series "That's Life" and four additional tracks were placed in the upcoming nationally distributed independent film "Lady in the Box." The band was nominated for the 2002 Just Plain Folks Music Awards, featured on the cover of Rhythm and News Magazine and on Indie-Music.com, and in the December 2001 issue of Recording Magazine. Listeners voted two songs on Snake Road (Cowboy and Already Gone) into the Top One Hundred songs of 2001 on 100.1 WDST; and Seth Rogovoy of WAMC Northeast Public Radio ranked Jake's live show in the Top Ten Best Concerts of 2002.

Jake's songs have been placed in feature films and network television series, and Jake most recently had several songs from Snake Road featured on ABC's "All My Children" and "Soap Net." The Band recently secured national distribution through BCD Music Group, and will have their CD's available in retail stores across the country. They are excited about the release of Bridge, which features special guest John Medeski of Medeski Martin and Wood on several tracks, and they will be touring extensively in support of the album.