Kat Harlton
Jaywalker puts a modern twist on 90’s country. Made up of the heartbeat from the award-winning band Hey Romeo, the band blurs genres to deliver heartfelt and authentic songs. Darren Gusnowsky and Rob Shapiro combine their natural chemistry formed over almost two decades of writing, recording and performing together to create a musical duo that showcases their outstanding abilities. Their catchy new single “Kickin Back On A Sunday” features rich vocals reminiscent of classic country with a modern twang.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Darren Gusnowsky and talk new single “Kickin’ Back On A Sunday”, lessons that have been learned along the way, and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single “Kickin’ Back On A Sunday”?
Darren: In our line of work you spend a lot of time travelling the Highways and byways of this vast country. Days turn into weeks turn into… well you get the idea. The days off almost always land on a Sunday. My Mother always told me that Sunday is a day of rest and that always stuck with me. The idea for the song came from a question that was thrown out in the Van after a long tour? “What’s everybody doing with their day off?” My answer? “Just kicking back man, it’s Sunday!” And a song was born.
Kat: You’ve spent almost two decades writing, recording and performing together, how has your musical relationship changed over the years?
Darren: Well, we have become more mature over these last few decades, but I still feel we both are looking to write and perform the best music possible. It’s like we’re brothers, we fight about dumb stuff, and not so dumb stuff but in the end it’s about creating the best songs we can.
Kat: What have you learned from each other?
Darren: I think the biggest lessons are hard work and persistence, those are two things we learned early on and they still hold true today. We have also taught each other the finer points of a good scotch as well. Maybe not music related, but then again…
Kat: Do you have any advice for emerging artists, or have you been given any advice that’s stuck with you or made an impact?
Darren: The best advice is a quote I read in a Joe Strummer cd cover.
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Kat: Is there an artist you’d like to perform with, that you haven’t had the chance to yet. Or a song you’d love to do a cover of?
Darren: Dwight Yoakam would be cool to tour with. The Mavericks, Midland, Jason Isbell… the list is long. Covers? The list is also long.
Kat: What’s next?
Darren: World domination. Lol but seriously, we have another single we wrote with Aaron Goodvin that’s ready to release, and then it’s into the studio. You gotta keep the ball rolling ya know. And Lots of writing.
For more on Jaywalker visit: https://jaywalkercountry.com