The Baltimore-raised singer-songwriter channels Paramore, As Cities Burn, and more on his catchy new release.
As Jordan Coley recalls, he’s been playing music his whole life. Coley has been hooked ever since since since he was exposed from a young age when his parents got him piano lessons at 7 years old. Driven by a budding love for music and performance, he would pick up and practise other instruments along the way.
Diving headfirst into his newfound love, he started performing at church when he was 15 and would start playing in bands a year later. Motivated by a simple yet strong passion for music and performance, Coley can also work and hone his skills as a music director at a multi-campus church in the Baltimore Area.
Musically, Coley draws influence from real life and everything around him but also freely admits he’s been influenced stylistically by the music he grew up with; bands like The Receiving End of Sirens, Paramore, and Circa Survive, as well as more recent groups like Makari and Royal Coda. In 2017, Jordan released his first EP, "Slow Down," dedicated to the memory of his late mother, who passed away from cancer, showing remarkable resilience and the ability to channel personal loss and grief into something beautiful.
“No Need for Grace” is Coley’s latest offering, an energetic, catchy track that both new and dedicated listeners are sure to love. It’s a track that feels both nostalgic and contemporary, blending nostalgic vibes reminiscent of the early 2000s emo subculture with Coley’s personal touch. “No Need For Grace” is a gutsy song about placing someone on a pedestal they no longer deserve.
Although initially infatuated (“You're so marvellous / Aren't you glad they're looking up to you?”), Coley realizes that the object of his affection may not be all he thought she was. It’s Coley at his best, free and energized on the vocals and lyrics that ultimately tell a powerful story.
Jordan Coley’s “No Need for Grace” is a deliciously nostalgic yet modern offering to the angsty teen within all of us. Whenever you’re ready to have a blast from the past that you can enjoy long into the future, stream “No Need for Grace,” available now.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Jordan Coley. We loved “No Need for Grace;" it had all the right feelings of nostalgia, but you also definitely added your twist there, which was super cool to see. We have to ask, what was the inspiration behind this track?
Love that you heard all that in the song! I can talk both musically and lyrically on this; not sure how you meant it! Lyrically, the idea for No Need for Grace came from a series of comments I was getting from a certain group of folks on my social media. These were comments on sensitive social subjects from professing Christians, well in years, experience, and wisdom.
Just so you know my background, I'm a Christian and currently serve as a music minister. Despite sharing that common thread with those commenters, I noticed a profound lack of grace in all of them. I found that pretty ironic, considering the faith's foundation is based on God's outrageous grace. I had a bit of a sad realization that with all those years and experience came something very different from the gentle humility I’d expected. Instead, I saw a theme of solid self-assuredness in who they thought God was, pride, and a general lack of empathy.
I wrote the song as a commentary, exploring how silly our selfish pride (mine included!) can make us look when we stop and think about how we view ourselves as righteous. It grew way bigger than some comments on a social media post, but I hope we can all see a little of ourselves in it and take ownership of how we can get out of hand patting ourselves on the back. As Cities Burn, one of my all-time favorite bands played a big role in challenging me to write this way. Musically, nostalgia was a big factor! I took inspiration from bands like Pierce the Veil and Edison Glass, but also some slightly more recent favorites of mine like Makari and Harbour, to name a few!
What inspires you to create music in general?
As for what inspires me to create, I think I was just made to create. I get inspired by life events, from other artists, good stories, and art in general. Inspiration really is everywhere if you've got your eyes and ears tuned to it!
What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to your music?
When people listen to my music, my goal is for them to see themselves in the things I create. Empathy and understanding are the dream. The more we understand each other and stand in one another's shoes, the more we learn just how little really divides us.
What was your favorite band growing up?
This is a tough question to pin down! If you asked high school Jordan the same question every year, my answers would've been different. Looking back, I think I'll pick the group that had the biggest influence on me musically growing up: The Receiving End of Sirens!
What’s next for Jordan Coley? Do you have any big plans for the rest of 2023, and can we expect to hear new music soon?
There's SO much coming next, and I couldn't be more excited. No Need for Grace is just the beginning of a bunch of other new music on the way that I'm so proud of. I'm currently in the studio polishing an album. No release date is locked in just yet because I want to make sure I'm putting out the best things I possibly can, but it'll definitely be later this year! I've got plans to finally get back to playing shows again and looking to play in some new places this year starting this summer now that we seem to be (mostly) on the other side of our new normal after COVID. Could not be more excited about this season!