You know what we think of Jerry Joseph, so it’s easy to guess that we’re more than happy to be able to offer the readership of Americana UK an opportunity of having the first listen to a new recording from the man himself, along with The Jackmormons (Joseph on Guitar and Vocals, Steven James Wright on Bass and Steve Drizos on Drums, joined by frequent collaborators Jenny Conlee on piano and Eric Martinez on Guitar). They have a new release “Panther Tracks Vol 1″ out on World Will Turn Records on September 5, 2025. It’s the first Jackmormons’ album since 2018’s “Full Metal Burqa”, it will be available digitally, on CD and on limited edition blue vinyl.
Jerry told Americana UK a little about the song. That’s actually not true, in fact he told us quite a lot about the song. And it was all interesting, so – take it away Jerry: “As the point of “Panther Tracks” was to do studio versions of songs either never recorded or only on live records, writing liner / crib notes involves some ghosts I’d hoped were long buried, songs have a funny way of making themselves relevant years later in unanticipated ways. Pink Light was three things for me.
Pink Light #1 Salt Lake City: I lived on the Marmalade Hill area, where below were railroad tracks and industrial areas that were part of a daily 6-mile run. In the winter with snow, there’s a phenomenon of light bouncing between the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains at dusk, that fills the valley with a surreal pink light, like seriously pink, eerie and stunning.
Pink Light #2 Many years ago in Eugene OR, my last memory was watching Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares to You“ tear before going into a speedball overdose and left in a bathtub of ( maybe ) available cocktail ice. No 911 call. My tour manager saw the motel door open, came in found me threw me on his shoulders, randomly ran into our friend Tommy Short, there for a Duck’s game from Colorado and who randomly had his truck parked right there. Raced to the hospital. The first doctor said I was gone, second doctor said, ‘fuck that we can save him’. I woke, defibrillated, strapped down and my only memory was Sinead’s tear and a pink light, a disturbing way to imagine eternity. My main thought was I had tie-dyed long underwear under military shorts ( early 90s) and I’d almost died in tie-dye, humiliating at best 🙂 . Still lucky as all fuck due to random events.
Pink Light #3 Years later, I became friends with a Methodist minister who had become a fan and his take on many of my songs , he saw as affirmations of faith. For him, when attending the dying, grieving, and sick, he felt God as a pink light filling the room and assumed that’s what the song was about.
Originally it was a Richmond Fontaine t-shirt, maybe it’s a Truckers’ shirt now? I’m writing this from Todos Santos Baja CA Sur, if memory serves me correctly, I think I wrote this in Mulegé Baja.
This song means so many different things to me when I sing it, like, what color are the flames and smoke of love burning away? Though, in the end, I’d prefer to go with the God’s light enveloping me in love 🙂 for you too ! Still, a pretty ripping track in my opinion, showing you can go back to a good song and record something worthwhile. That’s my opinion, love or hate at your leisure. Kisses. Jerry.”
So, now you know all (well, a good deal anyway) there is to know about ‘Pink Light‘ – can we suggest taking a listen and see what connections it makes when it hits your neurons? I think we can, I think we did, the next step is yours.
