Jamaican Queens is an American electronic pop band based in Detroit, Michigan.
History Adam Pressley and Ryan Spencer formed Jamaican Queens in Detroit in 2011. Pressley and Spencer had previously performed together in the defunct band Prussia. The duo wrote the songs that would comprise their first album. Jamaican Queens later expanded to include drummer Ryan Clancy.Brian Baker, “Jamaican Queens,” Cincinnati CityBeat, August 20, 2013.Gary Bartle, “Gold Standard,” Real Detroit Weekly, April 10, 2013.Jonah Wolf, “Jamaican Queens Perform in our Kitchen,” Paper, March 19, 2013.Chelsea Burcz, “Jamaican Queens’ Food for Thought,” Interview, April 26, 2013. The band name comes from Spencer's love of Jamaican dancehall music.Mia Sullivan, “Jamaican Queens on major influences, ‘Wormfood,’ and Detroit,” San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 10, 2013.
In March 2013, Jamaican Queens released their debut album, Wormfood.Chris Martins, “Jamaican Queens Introduce Meaty Décor in Twisted ‘Can’t Say No to Annie’ Video,” Spin, July 9, 2013. Abby Fiscus provided vocals on two tracks, and also appeared on the album's cover.Maria Schurr, “Jamaican Queens: Wormfood,” PopMatters, April 17, 2013. L Magazine ranked Wormfood #3 on its list of the 20 Best Albums of 2013, calling it the year's "best debut record."Lauren Beck and Jeff Klingman, "The 20 Best Albums of 2013," L Magazine, December 18, 2013. The band's music has been described as having elements of pop, glam rock and electronic dance music.Matthew A. Taub, "'Jamaican Queens' Rock the House at 285 Kent," Greenpointers.com, July 22, 2013.K. Ross Hoffman, "Jamaican Queens Lay a Strong Claim to the Crown," Philadelphia City Paper, July 18, 2013. Some of their influences include David Bowie, the Magnetic Fields, and Three Six Mafia. Spencer has called Morrissey his biggest influence when writing lyrics.Michael Cragg, "New Music: Jamaican Queens - Can't Say No To Annie," The Guardian, April 24, 2013.
In October 2014, the band released a new single, "Bored + Lazy".Eric Renner Brown, "Jamaican Queens return with grimy 'Bored + Lazy'," Entertainment Weekly, October 16, 2014. On June 2, 2015, the band's second album, Downers, was released.Lee DeVito, "A track-by-track breakdown of Jamaican Queens’ excellent new LP, 'Downers'," Detroit Metro Times, June 3, 2015.Cole Waterman, "Jamaican Queens: Downers," PopMatters, June 5, 2015.
Discography Albums Title Album details Wormfood Released: March 5, 2013 Label: self-released Formats: Digital download, CD, vinyl, cassette Downers Released: June 2, 2015 Label: Freakish Pleasures Formats: Digital download, vinyl, cassette (limited edition)
EPs Title Album details Bored + Lazy Released: February 6, 2015 Label: Freakish Pleasures Formats: Digital download, 12" white label vinyl
Singles YearTitleAlbum2012"When You Sleep" Released: September 11, 2012 Formats: Digital download2013"Kids Get Away" Released: June 17, 2013 Formats: Digital downloadWormfood2014"Bored + Lazy" Released: November 4, 2014 Formats: Digital download, vinylDowners
References
External links Official website Bandcamp