Jared Warren, a St. John business owner and resident for over 20 years wears many hats here on island. Under one hat resides a family man, married with a child and holding a respectable job with a stable income. He owns a property management company with over twenty employees and makes sure he keeps his Saturdays free for his family. Under the other hat resides a rock and roll man who has blessed the musical stages of St. John for years. As a staple within the St. John music community, he has been a collaborator with many local bands and can often be seen accompanying countless traveling stateside acts.
Warren is now putting on another hat, although still in the musical realm. This year he started releasing a series of albums where he is the sole songwriter. He is joined by an array of the musicians he has played with throughout the years, although this time it is less of a collaboration. His new project Wonderlost is a showcase of some of his songs he feels doesn’t fit into the themes or energies of the various musical makeups he has so diligently taken part in. His third album to be released under this moniker is titled “The Distant Present”. On May 9th he releases its 6th single, “Let it Grow”.
Warren has been integral to the St. John music scene as a driving force behind a slew of local acts. Some of these bands have disbanded or dissolved, whether that be because of various members leaving island, renegotiating their priorities within their own psyche, or simply moving on from having music be a part of their life. Jared on the other hand has stayed here and kept on all of his hats, maintaining his status as a leading figure in the music community of St. John, and continuing to create at a prolific level.
He can be seen sharing the stage with just about anyone on any given night. These days his main musical squeeze is Mother Goat. A founding member and one of the primary songwriters, most of his musical focus is held by this project. Mother Goat is known as one of the heavy hitters on St. John. Their psychedelic dance parties and an affection for calculated mayhem have become something of legend among the locals who have a taste for the rowdier things in life. With a distaste for falling into the realms of predictability or being labeled as any sort of standard cover band, which has become commonplace on St. John, Mother Goat has grown into one of the premier bands to see if you are on St. John looking for a serious party that keeps your feet moving.
Mother Goat recorded their debut album in 2022 with Allen Clapp at Coral Star Studios, an entity that has become a beacon for musicians on St. John. Being a prolific song writer with a vast array of musical influences, Warren’s catalog of original songs stretches well outside of the reach of the Mother Goat brand and sonic symmetry. After the recording session, Warren approached Clapp to discuss recording some of the songs he had been packing into the filing cabinets of his mind and his hard drive. Not long after, Wonderlost was created, and the recording process was underway.
Wonderlost, for all intensive purposes, is the vehicle for Jared Warren to get his songs and artistic expression out into the world without being beholden to any specific style that may be associated with the various bands he is a part of or collaborating with. It is his outlet for creation under no terms other than the terms he dictates for himself. That is also his main goal for these recordings; simply to be heard. As he puts it, “being heard is the biggest reward of it all.”
Warren has now recorded three albums under the moniker, Wonderlost. The first two albums were more electronically inclined and primarily instrumental. The songs on “The Distant Present”, including Let it Grow, carry a much heavier lyrical weight. He puts aside the instrumentalist side of himself, showcasing the songwriter.
Armed with the poeticism and articulation that has become a well integrated aspect and characteristic of his songwriting, Let it Grow carries an introspection that is soaking in a jovial energy that gives you a sense of sincerity while simultaneously not taking itself too seriously. He is speaking from his heart, while understanding the reality and nuances of emotional and mental contradictions. It is a fun song that is easy to listen to, all the while possessing a deeper meaning for those who take the time to listen intentionally with a critical and somewhat philosophically inclined mind.
While speaking on the meaning behind “The Distant Present”, he talks of the obsession that general society has with the the future as well as the mistakes of the past, forgetting to embrace the present. “People need to spend more time in the present…. Most people are not mentally present in the moment. They are so far away.” There is a short silence after he speaks, as if taking a moment to reside in the thought of this concept. This introspection is typical of his music and is not lost on “Let it Grow”. Using the metaphor of a seed growing into a flower or a plant for the humanistic process of focusing on a goal, frame of mind, or an emotional state, Warren urges the listener to focus on planting the seed and giving it water and “nutrients” to let these ideas grow into a reality.
His upcoming album includes a range of musicians, as does this single. Whether that is local or stateside musicians he has previously collaborated with, Warren had no shortage of musicians to pull from his digital roledex to bring in to the fold, helping him create this complex and all encompassing musical journey. Joining Warren on Let it Grow is old band mate Fletcher Kelly, who recorded the vocals remotely while living stateside. Current Mother Goat band mates and musical cohorts, Jalil Jahantab and Aaron Strickland are also featured on this track. Warren doing the keyboards, percussion and drums, which he programmed electronically, the other musician featured on Let it Grow is a local saxophone savant, who on St. John is well known simply as Broheem.
Warren has many musical endeavors on the horizon. He joined forces with Allen Clapp this past year to start a record label based out of Coral Bay, Good Duck Records. Aside from Wonderlost, Mother Goat is finishing their second album they plan to release later this year. He has also recorded with a litany of other projects under the Good Duck umbrella at Coral Star Studios with Allen Clapp, and produced a record by the local Pan Steel ensemble, The Pandragons.
He will be releasing a music video for Wonderlost on his birthday, May 23rd. Be sure to find all of his previously released music anywhere you happen to find your music. Everything he has set free into the world can be found on all streaming platforms free of cost.
If you want to explore the creations from this eclectic artist, it can all be found on his website.
this well was a wonderful read and I’m excited to hear this !!!