JR SLAYER (CREDIT: Bob Sweeney)

What started as a creative catch-all for Cody Votolato has morphed into one of 2022's break-out bands: J.R. SLAYER. And that's pronounced "jay-arr" slayer, not "junior" slayer, just for clarity's sake. J.R. SLAYER seemsingly first started years ago as a character and an illustration, a simple, aimless piece of imagination. "I think the world is gonna die before I do," Votolato sings on their new single and the title track to their debut EP, Not Rotten. "And if that's true, I just want to spend the rest of my time right here, sitting next to you." Produced by Will Yip (Title Fight, Anthony Green, Touché Amoré,) Not Rotten is a celebration of the feelings, words and, music that gives life color and energy to break through the bleakness.


It sounds as opposite as humanly possible when compared against Votolato's past work; with melodic Indie-Punk sing-alongs, Bubblegum-Pop choruses, and soaring guitar riffs abound, Not Rotten finds the Seattle-born, LA-residing artist at a new place in his life. "There's so much bad sh*t in the world, there's a lot of bad things happening. But when you fall in love with someone, you have this feeling that all that stuff can disappear momentarily," Votolato explains. "Everything goes away, but you and this person and your feelings about them and yourself." J.R. SLAYER comes years after Votolato's pivot away from full-time music work on the tail-end of decades between bands, including beloved Seattle Post-hardcore outfit The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, Head Wound City, Telekinesis, Waxwing with Rocky Votolato, and Cold Cave.


The Blood Brothers began when Votolato was 15 and, at the time, was his main and only source of income. "I got fairly burnt out trying to make money as a musician," says Votolato. "I was struggling for a very long time to have music make me money and be my career. It turned into this very toxic relationship with music." He vowed to leave that life behind, but continued to write and play music at his own pace after moving to Los Angeles in 2016. Votolato contributed guitar and keyboards throughout Say Anything's album, I Don't Think It Is, as well as contributions to "Boyfriend" & "Norse Truth" from Against Me!'s Shape Shift with Me both released during 2016. Soon, friend and collaborator Andrew Martin (Moon Honey) pushed him to solidify J.R. SLAYER and, before long, another friend booked a show for J.R. SLAYER at The Hi-Hat (R.I.P.) and Votolato started performing again.


"I really wanted to re-connect with music in the way that I did when I first started playing music, which was more about just needing it to survive in an artistic and soulful way, as opposed to needing it to survive financially." Jason Klein (Deaf Club,) who plays bass on the record, introduced Votolato to Will Yip, who produced Not Rotten at his Studio 4 Recording in Conshocken, Pennsylvania over two sessions, months apart, back in 2021. Benjamin "Ben" Walsh (Tigers Jaw) played drums on the record and Votolato's sister, Brandi Jo Votolato, sings, alongside Cody, on Not Rotten. J.R. SLAYER's "Not Rotten" is now available on stremaing services. Their Not Rotten EP drops on September 9, 2022 (the same day as Cody's brother Rocky Votolato's new album, Wild Roots!) on Will Yip's own Memory Music.