Song Premiere: Mt. Joy, 'Jenny Jenkins'

Developing its musical roots in Philadelphia, Mt. Joy — one of the new class of Slingshot bands — is set to release its self-titled debut album on March 2. Founding members Matt Quinn (vocals/guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar) have been making music since the early 2000s. However, it wasn't until several years ago that the two came together and began to write songs that would form the foundation of their debut album. Mt. Joy combines old-school classic rock and touches of rootsy acoustic music with vibrant, well-crafted songs that overflow with hooks, tenderness and singalong moments.

In the wistful and nostalgic "Jenny Jenkins," from Mt. Joy's forthcoming debut, Quinn's emotional phrasing leaves him pleading and quivering with desire. While not a rendition of the traditional folk song of the same name, Mt. Joy's tune does have a connection to the cover of it by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

"'Jenny Jenkins' is a song I wrote about moving to Los Angeles," Quinn writes via email. "Growing up in the Philadelphia area, I feel like I was exposed to a lot of 'real' grounded people. L.A. was kind of a culture shock — a lot of people offering meetings that don't materialize and just a general culture of false promises. I even found out the palm trees were imported, and was just feeling pretty down on myself and the city. The song was put together as a song of appreciation for my girlfriend, who was my only real ally in the city at that time. As a tip of the cap to some of my heroes, I used the name of one of my favorite folk songs from a record my dad always used to play by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, 'Jenny Jenkins.'"

Mt. Joy's self-titled debut album is due out March 2 via Dualtone.

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