The Bitch is Back

Being honest, not really. I definitely do not feel ‘back’. Rather, I have reentered an era of speaking truth to power > as they say < I find myself remarking “not with that kind of attitude you won’t” in total seriousness, often. And so continuing the eb of willing things into existence. I’ve brought you here today for a sweet moment of reflection, should you choose to indulge me, and I do believe it is worth noting…

I’m listening back to a recording of rehearsal from the 18th. We finally have Tessa’s background vocals mic’d up and it’s all reverbilicious and echoing so nicely. It only took us a year to realize that there was a mixer available for us to use so now we don’t have to run my vocals and Tessa’s guitar through the same amp. And we can have multiple mics!! Ha ha. Having 6 people with moving parts it’s made it really helpful. More enjoyable too because I can hear myself and still hear what everyone else is doing and they can hear me too. Shocker!

We will play our last show of the year on Friday (tomorrow). 11/28. Black Friday lol. Our first rehearsal as a band was 12/2/2024 so just nearly a year of playing together. I can hear us dial in with every rehearsal and it makes me wish we had endless time and space for it. With all of the work and traveling schedules and moving and just all of the craziness that has gone on this year I am proud of the work we have done. Our very first show which we got to play with Wholesale Angel Market, beautiful friends and musicians from California, was such a gem. I was nervous as hell. It felt so good but I was definitely shaky. Not secure in my performance. Yet, cradled by getting to play with the band…

Then spring and summer we got to play with touring acts and it was cool to play with bands I wasn’t familiar with that I’m now fans of. Sister, villagerrr, Trophy Wife and She’s Green! All such sweet artists. Each doing their own mf thang. Two more of which were at Whirling Tiger and then we finally branched out to play at Zanzabar. A very formative venue for me and many of my comrades who grew up in and around Louisville. We made 1-of-1 merch. Shouts out to whoever made it out with a bespoke KJ OLSEN tee made by Sachi, Tessa, and I. (Think Grace did make one too!) We quickly realized it wasn’t really a night before show sort of endeavor but they turned out pretty sick. Shouts out to Sachi and Kennedy for working the merch corner <3

You can hear my Mom sing along…<3

In August, we played with Hometown Heroes, WOMBO, the night before their album release show. Our friends and musicians that I (and probably most of the band) have looked up to for a long time. That was so special because it was at our beloved local watering hole, Nach Bar. Lot’s of you were there. For those of you that don’t know, Nach is a tiny dive bar and there is no stage, you’re all on the floor staring eye to eye. People standing on stools against the back wall. Dancing. It was summer and sweaty. I loved that. If you’re in LA, imagine Ye Rustic but just the front room. No booths. Just bar and high tops against the walls. Brought in the tambourine…

I introduced the band to 3 unreleased songs. Well yes…I have been working away in that little corner of my mind. It was nerve-wracking and exciting to show them the light of day. Tessa and I played a few songs at our friend Angel 004’s show. She did a community showcase with lil performances from different artists in Louisville. We played stripped down versions of Doesn’t Matter and two unreleased ones, I Run Real Slow and snack song. It was two days after my 30th birthday, so really one day after. It was the first time I ever played snack song live. Special, I wrote that song right before I left LA in April of 2024. I was ruminating on the idea that you can just wake up one day and feel different. You can wake up one day and you just have the lightness of being so deep inside of every cell that it never seemed like things had been ever any different. And some days that person that really gets to you…you can look at them and see them as a little kid. You can look at them and smile, and say “I see you”…here’s a clip from the first performance of it with the full band at Zanzabar in September:

Jacobs friend Shane St. Clair has stepped in to drum with us. Chris is a nurse and is often unable to play with us. ( :( ) But! Shane has been awesome, rolling with our chaotic way of organizing and rehearsing and being the best drummer who is apparently “not a drummer”.

The songs have become more textural and robust as we have learned them and grown deeper in our ability to play with each other. I have loved seeing them take on new life outside of the recorded versions. And I have loved tweaking and switching things up each time.

On Friday we will play with indie rockers Routine Caffeine and rapper Kuda Baby both from Louisville. Sink is coming in from Columbus as well. He is actually the bass player from villagerrr I believe. His project is this cool twangy skater rock stuff.

We start off the show so don’t be late! Plan to stay till the end and dance with us. I hope to see you there. Thank you for following along on the journey. 2026 will surely bring me to YOU, my friends who are not in Kentucky. I am manifesting that.

XO

KJ