Music
New single ‘Brush Me Like A Horse’ is out now…
30 · 01 · 2026
alt-J’s Joe Newman has launched new solo vessel JJerome87.
A founding member of the Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello–winning band, Joe Newman recently found that many of his ideas didn’t quite fit the nexus of alt-J. Opting to continue these, his solo venture JJerome87 was born from these solitary sessions.
Signing to Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group, a lot more is to come – including the unveiling of his live show – but it all begins with this new single.
Out now, ‘Brush Me Like A Horse’ is the first sign of his new endeavour, and it’s a self-conscious depiction of personal transition. Opaque electronics and neat pop flourishes, there’s a surreal aspect to the songwriting which resolves itself in the warming bath of a chorus.
A marked break from his communal endeavours, the single presents JJerome87 as something wholly distinct.
He comments…
“[Brush Me Like A Horse] is the story of a man slowly turning into a horse. This metamorphosis has the world around him forgetting who he is as people begin to care for him more and more like a horse.This song was inspired partly by something I’d seen a friend go through. They didn’t turn into a horse, but their reputation went through a metamorphosis.”
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Zachary Gray
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