Jaron and the Long Road to Love photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.
One of the songs that’s truly generated a response among country fans in 2010 is “Pray For You” by Jaron And The Long Road To Love, which sounds like a band but really is just a solo artist: Jaron Lowenstein.
Part of Jaron’s history is membership in a duo, Evan & Jaron, that made waves in pop about 10 years ago. So “Pray For You” makes him just the latest in a line of artists who’ve made the shift from pop and rock into country. He’s happy to be in the new genre, but if you’re upset with him because you think traditional country is getting short shrift these days, well, Jaron maintains he’s not at fault.
“I think people are still confused by what’s happening,” he told Entertainment Weekly, “but the reality is that if you ask Kid Rock or Darius Rucker — you ask any of these guys — they’ll tell you the same thing: country went pop, we didn’t go country. I don’t think Jewel wakes up in the morning and just goes, ‘I want to make a country record.’ We set out to make music and find an audience, we just need an audience that appreciates us and connects with us.”
For Jaron, that’s certainly happened in country. “Pray For You” made the Top 15, which is higher than Evan & Jaron ever got on the pop charts. And his album Getting Dressed In The Dark debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard country albums chart. His appearance in country is less about invading a new genre than being forced out of another one.
Pop music has gone beat-crazy — the genre is dominated by acts such as Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha that lean heavily on hiphop and dance. So artists that make melody and real-life lyrics the central focus of their work are shut out of pop. Fans who want what singer-songwriters have to offer have drifted to country, and those new fans are naturally more open to the acts that got shut out of pop. Welcome, Jaron…
“The long-rooted country tradition is lyrics, storytelling,” he said. “So lyrically, that puts me in country music. What does my album sound more like — Keith Urban, Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum, or Jay-Z or whoever? I think there was a redistricting, a rezoning of genres, and country said ‘Hey, we’ll take all those listeners.’ Country just expanded. They still have traditional, but they have new country, too.”
At least two guys with strong traditional roots are happy to have Jaron among them. He’s on the same bill with Toby Keith and Trace Adkins Friday night when the American Ride Tour hits the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles.
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i love all your songs don't change a things jaron your style and you are great dont change a thing.
Well hello there Kristine! Guess commenting to a comment is an option only on computer and not phone.. :d
lol Ha' love ya hoot jenni jaron fran,phones better than nothing.
All I have to say is that I love Jaron and The Long Road to Love, aka Jaron Lowenstein, and is music is awesomely great!
Ha
lol well hey jenni jaron fran
I think it was Ray Charles that once said, "there's only 2 kinds of music, good and bad". But when it comes to music, good and bad are so subjective. So, I say, there are only 2 types of music, music that I like, and music that I don't. And I like Jaron's music, I don't care what genre its labeled with.
Jaron has lots of frans and he interacts with his frans daily,he has over 131,000 frans and still makes time for us frans.He does love and care and enjoys his frans and having fb fran parties with him when he pops on,most bands and artist interact once a year if even at that.Jaron is devoted and thank him for being who he is.
NO MATTER WHERE JARON GOES WE WILL FOLLOW..WE LOVE HIS MUSIC AND THE PERSON HE IS NO MATTER WHAT LABEL HE HAS POP….COUNTRY OR EVEN RAP!! HE IS A GREAT ARTIST AND WILL MOVE UP IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC NO MATTER WHERE HE IS LABELED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU JARON
Im with u Tami and his frans love him.
Ok i love Jaron but i don't like rap… but if he tried his hand at it i would give it a chance
Hes talented and entertainning,hes different,has humor.Love his music and style and him.Im one if his biggest frans.
I havent followed him like others have but he did a fine job and well writen.It as humor and nothing wrong with humor in a song.If we didnt have a little humor in life,it would be dull.Jaron has talent,seen him and meet him in person and he is entertainning.He is fun and he enjoys what hes doing and life and he makes his frans feel loved and he cares for his frans.I wish him well as an artist and in the entertainment business.He is loved and his frans love back.
oops sorry meant to hit thumbs up button..sorry kristine we are all trying to have jaron's back!!!!
thats right and we will and nice to meet u tami fran
yeah! I loved him in Evan and Jaron and i love him still! And unlike alot of other artists he takes time to get to know us! I am his FRAN and i will be for life! Way to go Jaron!
fancy meeting u here amber lol,we the biggest jaron frans and yes we love him to death.
I thought "Pop" stood for Popular. . .
You are NOT Pop, because you whine too much of lost love and it's all her fault, and you don't take responsibility in "I Pray for You'. Even though it may only be a song, the message is NOT one we should be giving men or women. To pray for another person's demise is never wise because than that person has friends, and they have friends and before you know it, all those friends outnumber your friends.
Wish others well, take responsibility, learn from the experience and move on. That would be a 'Pops' advice to a child or stranger on the street. Don't know if you are already a father, but you should ALWAYS listen to at least one other person in your life before you make confirmations and judgments on strong issues.
Take 3 slow, deep breaths…there. Wasn't that helpful?
Now let me say this slow so you can understand: IT'S……JUST…….A……SONG.
Not only is it just a song, it's a song about the feelings anybody has towards the other person at the end of relationship. Just chillax and enjoy the music.
What? It's a funny song. I don't take the lyrics seriously and I don't know anybody else who does either. It's a funny song because sometimes that's how you'd like to pray for somebody, but really you wouldn't. Kind of a fantasy song, so to speak. I love it, my sister loves it, and quite a few of my friends love it, and we're not all praying for someome's demise. Although I would like a flower pot to fall from a windowsill on my ex-husband….
Your opinion is just one because you probably dont have any friends!!!!!
You're taking his song entirely too seriously, it is tongue-in-cheek and the hook of the song. I'm sure Jaron doesn't wish death upon anyone, so come off your high horse and cease the superiority complex. And you are lying to yourself if you have faced heartbreak in your life by a significant other and not wished some kind of retribution. But those feelings eventually go away and time heals all wounds.
no,he doesnt wish death on anybody and i see the humor in it,some take it to serious but love jaron and his music and i am and will be he has me as a fran for life.
If you say you have never felt that way in your life you are lying to yourself. Itsa all a part of the healing process. So just remember i pray for you isn't always true.. And not once does he say he wants anyone to die or whatever
Go find another person to bash
He's still "pop," just pop-country. Pop is not a genre in and of itself.