Shout Love

JUPITER, FL – August 30, 2017 – As I open the door of the local German-inspired bar, Das Biergarten, which is filled with foodies indulging in delectable food truck offerings that fill the streets of Abacoa behind me and basketball fans glued to the television screens as the Cavaliers are racking up points against the Warriors, I hear a voice belting out a ballad that curves the commotion into background noise. A voice that makes you stop heading towards the bar to grab one of your favorite international, or introductory brews, that revolve on tap at the quaint bar. A voice that belongs to a South Florida local who invites you into his world of music he has created on his own – that world of music crafted by his handpicked five-man band, J.M. & The Sweets.

The singer in question, Josh Miles, dances to the rhythm of the beat of the captivating tune that has created a magnetic pull of listeners into a circle around the stage as he carols the lyrics, “Shout love from the roof tops, shout love from the allies, shout love every second, every hour until we change our reality.” 

I took a second to think about what these lyrics meant. His message didn’t encourage a certain image or crude behavior, but rather promoting a culture of love and unity. They have a purpose in what they preach, pulling emotion from your spirit that listeners crave. By the time the song ends, the crowd erupts in applause as the attention of the crowded bar that once was entertained with the game and grub, was now entirely directed to the stage.

THE MELTING POT

That night of June 16th was the release of J.M. & The Sweet’s debut EP album, “Sol Village”. With a vast arrangement of song styles from love ballads to up-beat funk, the tracks infuse your ears with soulful sounds delivered by the uniquely talented band members, blended with an array of vocal harmonics from Josh, producing musical revelations the band refers to as “South Florida Soul” – A genre of music this Florida quintet have compiled and created on their own. 

“South Florida Soul is a fusion of all types of music that inspire us individually such as jazz, pop, R&B, salsa, gospel, and more,” says Michael Perry, guitarist of J.M. & The Sweets. “It’s like a melting pot – taking genres of music that don’t necessarily go together and turning it into soulful music.”

To create the fusion of songs, the band members had to skillfully utilize their own resources to get the job done. “About 85 percent of the album was recorded in my room,” light-heartedly admits Lorenzo Lindo, the bassist of the band. “It’s like a home studio we refer to as ‘Influence Studios’. The other portions were recorded at Echo Beach Recording Studios in Jupiter.” 

With six tracks that comprise “Sol Village”, the inspiration for the name of the album is displayed on the front and back cover of the record. The hand-drawn, pigment-enriched art work represents the landscape of Josh’s parents’ homeland of Haiti. “Haiti is where it all started,” says Josh. “My parents grew up there and came to America to have me and create a life for our family. I also wanted the art work to represent a village because it literally took a village of people to make this album possible.”

From Left to Right: Virgil Price, Josh Miles, Michael Perry, Lorenzo Lindo, Ben Stokes

THE VILLAGE

When Josh was a sophomore at the University of Mobile on a scholarship for the school’s performing vocal ensemble, he decided he no longer wanted to sing opera for his career and left the school embarking on a new beginning. Not knowing where his life would take him, Josh began auditioning for Broadway shows, thinking he could take his career to musical theater. In between auditions, he begun to teach himself how to play the guitar. Never having written a song before, he turned to the album “Voodoo” by D’Angelo which he claims changed his life. “I got ahold of his music and was inspired to begin writing. Over time, I had gotten good enough at the guitar that I started to perform at open mic nights,” explains Josh. 

And from these open mic nights is where he found each of his band members one by one – Virgil Price, Michael Perry, Lorenzo Lindo, and Ben Stokes. Originally, Josh had planned on a solo career, but once he heard the talent that came out of each artist, he knew he had to bring them together to create the village they have today. J.M. & The Sweets didn’t necessarily come together in the typical sense; Josh pretended that they were a band before they ever got together. “I was working at a place in Delray Beach called Vintage Tap and one night a band who was set to perform cancelled and the manager asked if I knew of a band that could cover for them. Well, I lied and told him I had a band and called up Mike, Virgil, and my buddy Jason Stander, who at the time was our drummer and plays on most of the tracks on Sol Village, to come play and it just took off from there.” A few months later Josh added Lorenzo to the group, and then long-time friend Ben Stokes took the place of Jason a year ago, completing the band.  

Now with four years under their belt, J.M. & The Sweets have performed all over the South Florida region, from Stuart to Key Largo, appealing to multiple audiences in all manners of venues: Funky Buddha Brewery, Leftovers, The Brewhouse Gallery, O’Shea’s Irish Pub, The Norton Museum, the list goes on and on. “As a musician, I think one of the most important jobs is when people walk in and hear the music, that whatever is going on in their lives is completely forgotten,” says Josh. 

THE HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Having the pleasure to frequently play shows around the area, the band all agrees that Jupiter is one of the most enjoyable towns to perform in because they are able to play in a city that supports and “digs” their music. They refer to Jupiter as their second home, recognizing our tight-knit community that maintains a livelihood of locality where people regularly interact with them at shows. 

“The people are simple, laid-back, and like to have a good time – I think that’s what makes this town special,” says Michael. “Many of our fans come from the Jupiter area.” 

Replete with live-music venues, our town has enabled the band to do what they do best – to create music that has meaning to its content while attracting listeners to let loose and take a step inside their minds, as they unfold the most vulnerable of emotions, experiences, and wild thoughts. 

J.M. & The Sweets see no end in their future. They plan to perform in central and northern Florida, as well as infiltrate Miami with their eclectic groove as they have been named “Best Unknown Band” by Miami New Times. With their new album released, they plan to introduce “South Florida Soul” to the world and redefine the soul music genre one show at a time.