Take one look at JVK’s online presence and it becomes clear that there just isn’t any room for male domination in front-woman Jo Krieger’s path of hard rock trailblazing.
The band’s new single “My Own Man” from the 2022 EP release Hello, Again is no exception. Lyrically, the track does a beautiful job of exemplifying women’s empowerment and not acting subserviently to the various problematic men that I can only imagine every woman in music has to deal with. A favorite lyric snippet from the song includes “I’m not your mommy, not your savior, not your dog / Give up my freedom like it’s in a catalog.”
Paired with Christmas thematics, the words send a brutally strong message right off of the start of the track. In the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings that violate bodily freedom, this sort of messaging is now more important than ever. It’s easy to see how deeply inspiring the band’s music is to a huge number of people.
Various great things happen sonically throughout the track that help it to nail down the overall aesthetic. The opening fuzzy guitar and bass riff works effectively as a head-banging ear-worm to keep the listener drawn in from start to finish. The distorted vocals give a militant feel to the song, aiding in promoting the urgency of the issues highlighted in the track. One of the strongest points of the song for me was the impressive guitar work, especially the open jam during the last minute of the song. The distorted riffing alongside the powerful playing of the band members creates an apocalyptic soundscape that is quite the experience to immerse yourself in.
This song is a force to be reckoned with.