J Wong and the Popular Butchers

The Popular Butchers met j.wong alone at a microphone years ago. They listened to his songs, terse and personal as a last phone message between once lovers, and after the show carried the melodies in their memories until they saw him again. This time, to their surprise, they were quietly singing along, and started to feel something bigger underneath the unadorned pathos. It was like j.wong, with his stories, was finishing their emotional sketches or articulating what was just on the tip of their tongues. "The timeless allure of folk music," the Popular Butchers ruminated to themselves.

They then moved to Seattle, where j.wong lives, and began covering some of his songs at small cafés, with due credit given. In spite of the Popular Butchers's poor singing and slapdash playing, the songs themselves were very admired by the small candid crowds. Redirecting compliments toward j.wong (who was then unaware of this plagiary) the Popular Buthcers felt a moral need that his music be recorded and made available. Meanwhile j.wong, for different reasons, felt the same desire.

Friendships were made and soon after a debut EP was, too.