Brooklyn bubblegrunge alt-rocker America Jayne (moniker for Erica Pierce) is today sharing her latest single, ‘Scaredy Cat.’
A grungey indie rock anthem, ‘Scaredy Cat’ explores the irrational, but often debilitating fears we have as children and how these materialize into our adulthood.
The song is the first track off America Jayne’s debut EP, Homecoming (due out June 2022), and kicks off the album as an upbeat, rock-centric anthem.
We had a chat with Erica all about the America Jayne project, the new single and upcoming EP, creative process and more. Read the Q&A below.
Hi Erica! How are you? For anyone reading this that may be unfamiliar with your music, how did America Jayne come to be and how would you describe your sound?
“Hello! America Jayne initially was born after I got a job waitressing at Rockwood Music Hall in 2018. I was surrounded by live music every night and was swept up by the energy and community that was so present in NYC. I put together a band and had my first live show there a few months later and was signed to my first manager and after that the ball started rolling fast. The project has grown a lot in the past few years and has gone from a more Phoebe-Bridgers-esque folk project, to a punk rock (a la Paramore) inspired band that’s loud, proud, and energetic as hell. Past press coverage has described my sound as ‘Bubble Grunge’ and I find that quite fitting.”
You’ve just released your new single ‘Scaredy Cat’. What’s the track about?
“At its core, ‘Scaredy Cat’ is about childhood trauma. The song explores the irrational, but often debilitating fears we have as children and how these materialize into our adulthood. The song begins with childhood anxiety towards ghosts, moves to a teenage fear of sex, and rounds out with the current discomfort that I never quite got over these worries. Fun fact, this song was inspired by my previous release, ‘Open Casket’. In ‘Open Casket’ I discuss wanting the person I was seeing at the time to be vulnerable, and to do so I began by telling him about my childhood fears.”
‘Scaredy Cat’ is taken from your upcoming debut EP Homecoming? What can you tell us about the record? And what do you hope listeners take away from it?
“Homecoming is my debut EP and I couldn’t be more proud of the final product. The EP explores themes of nostalgia, growing up, heartbreak, and loss of innocence. The album relives every step of a relationship with ‘Open Casket’ shamelessly asking a partner to “be ugly” and the desire for vulnerability in the beginning of a relationship, to ‘Dehisce”, a self-aware portrayal of a destructive break-up. The entire EP, aside from the title track, was written in early 2021, when I was bedridden after breaking my foot. I did not leave my apartment for weeks – spending all my time writing and nursing a broken foot and heart.
“I hope listeners take away that it is OK to be vulnerable. This EP wouldn’t exist if I didn’t give myself permission to fully tell my story. I hope listeners can connect to that sort of raw honesty and allow themselves to feel without judgment.”
What’s your songwriting process like?
“I am definitely a “lyrics first” kind of writer. I am constantly typing up little lyric ideas in my notes app – whether that be on the train to work, drunk with friends at my favorite neighborhood bar, or those half-lucid moments before falling asleep.
“I was very lucky to work with my dear friends, Tiger Darrow and Ronnie DiSimone (who also produced the album) as collaborators on this EP. I would take my mostly fleshed out lyrics and some chord/melody ideas to Tiger and Ronnie and we would spend a session putting it all together and bouncing ideas off each other till we found something that fits.”
Finally, what else is next for you? Any shows coming up?
“The EP coming out June 30th is the big one!! Right after that we will play a release show at Mercury Lounge with Uncle Skunk and Marinara.
“I am in the process of planning a fall tour so keep an eye out for that!”
