RARE AMERICANS RELEASE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF NEW ALBUM AND ANIMATED FILM SEARCHING FOR STRAWBERRIES: THE STORY OF JONGO BONGO

Photo Credit: Jan Neumann

Canadian alternative rock band and storytellers Rare Americans have released three acts of their most innovative and ambitious project to date, Searching For Strawberries: The Story Of Jongo Bongo. Merging to create their new full-length album, Searching For Strawberries tells the true story of Rare Americans’ very own multi-instrumentalist “Jongo” and his transformation from corporate pawn to rock star.

Searching For Strawberries: The Story Of Jongo Bongo is rolling out in three parts, pairing the new music with the band’s signature animation. Act I has already garnered over 800K streams across platforms in just under two weeks with lead single “Milk & Honey” 

To date, Act I and Act II have already achieved over 2.2 million streams across platforms in just under a month with lead singles “Milk & Honey” and “2 U’s” landing on Spotify’s New Music Friday Canada and Ready To Rock playlists. 

Rare Americans — consisting of lead vocalist James Priestner, bassist Jan Cajka, drummer Duran Ritz, and brother and co-writer Jared Priestner have established an identity as inventive storytellers since their first debut in 2018.

With the addition of four music tracks as part of the final installment of the project comes the video for Act III. The film would provide an Innovating 33-minute, fully animated musical feature accompanying the album to create an immersive listening experience as Jongo takes on a journey of self-discovery on the Santiago De Camino. Searching For Strawberries: The Story of Jongo Bongo follows the success of the band’s four previously released albums and EP, Songs That Don’t Belong, in addition to a nomination as Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.

“I think this album is important because it tells the story of a journey that nearly everyone goes on; the search for purpose, meaning, and happiness in life. What Jongo went through is a story as old as time. But the important takeaway, however cliché it may seem, is that it’s not too late to chase your dream. Jongo really was a cog in the corporate machine, he really did quit his job and take a spontaneous trip of self discovery down The Camino, and he really did become a rock star.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid in school wondering what it is you want to do in life, or an adult stuck in a 9-5. You really can pursue your dreams at anytime if you have the commitment Jongo did. And, you may not always know it right away. A lot of this album is about his journey rather than his destination.”

— James Priestner, vocalist.

Rare Americans have developed an enthusiastic fan base with their encouraging message, tireless work ethic, varied sound, and mesmerizing visuals. The genre-breaking act have fully committed to developing a cartoon world through their own prize-winning animation company, Crooked City Studios, creating content for the likes of HBO Max, New Balance, Jessie Reyez, and Donald Glover in addition to their own releases to accompany their musical output, making their fan base one of a kind among other current musicians in terms of how they connect with the band's collection.  Rare Americans are ultimately telling their stories directly to anyone who wants or needs to hear them as they build relationships with listeners beyond the surface level and have reached audiences on a global scale.

Act I Track Listing:

1. Money

2. Milk & Honey

3. Stay Curious

Act II Track Listing:

1. 2 U’s

2. Northern Lights

3. Good Eats

4. Brothers

5. No Troubles

Act III Track Listing:

1. Sunday Morning

2. Fuck You Elmo

3. Moving Beyond

4. Odd Ducks

“[Rare Americans are] still committed to the vivid storytelling and rambunctious, genre-blurring style for which they’re known.”

— American Songwriter

“Intelligently pieced together, the animated visuals are a sight to behold, building on each lyrical phrase to craft its own universe.”

— Clash Magazine

“[Rare Americans’] fascination with the way people interact in the world echoes throughout their music.” — SPIN
“...irresistible hooks, lyrical wit, and animated deliveries.”

— Under The Radar

STREAM SEARCHING FOR STRAWBERRIES: THE STORY OF JONGO BONGO

“Rare Americans continue to elevate their unique brand of inventive audio and visual storytelling, creating crooked and catchy stories that relatably reflect modern life’s bizarre and sometimes heartbreaking realities.”

— Ones To Watch

“this is the same classic storytelling your grandad used to love, with a little indie rock flair sprinkled on top.”

— idobi Radio

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