RARE AMERICANS ANNOUNCE EPIC TALE SEARCHING FOR STRAWBERRIES: THE STORY OF JONGO BONGO

THE STORY OF JONGO BONGO PRE-SAVE HERE TO BE RELEASED IN THREE PARTS ACT I OUT JUNE 5

Hot off the heels of their recent international Milk & Honey Tour, Canadian alt-rockers Rare Americans have announced their new studio album, Searching for Strawberries: The Story of Jongo Bongo. The album, which is set to be released in three parts — Act I on June 5th, Act II on June 19th, and Act III on July 7th — spotlights the band’s masterful storytelling as they share the transformative tale of their bass player Jongo Bongo where he ditches the typical 9-5 grind and evolves from corporate puppet to international rockstar.

Marking Rare American’s first release this year, Searching for Strawberries: The Story of Jongo Bongo takes listeners on a trip around the world, making them question their own life’s path as Jongo ditches the rat race of corporate life and exchanges it for a journey of self-discovery on the Santiago De Camino, a 500 mile expedition through Spain. The project highlights the band’s transcendent rhythms and captivating lyricism with a crooked narrative as they prove they are not afraid to show how they really feel, evident by their strong language and raw emotions. The album is available now for pre-sale here.

Since debuting in 2018, Rare Americans have released four full lengths including their sophomore album, Rare Americans 2, which landed them on Billboard’s Top 100 chart and features their JUNO-award winning song “Brittle Bones Nicky,” their most listened to track to date at over 131 million global streams. 2021’s Jamsey Boy and The Screw Loose Zoo features a collaboration with two-time GRAMMY nominee and Netflix's Rhythm N' Flow winner, D Smoke, on their track “Rhythm Kitchen” along with a variety of skits and demos on the album’s deluxe version, providing the band the opportunity to place a focus on more of their personality and natural talent. Elsewhere in their catalog, the Vancouver natives have released a string of singles including their original song “Back Up Plan” which can be heard on the Scoob! soundtrack alongside various contributions from Charlie Puth, Thomas Rhett, Jack Harlow, Kane Brown, Ava Max, and more.

Amassing over 500 million streams and more than 875K YouTube subscribers for their all-in melodicism and narrative-driven animated videos, Rare Americans — consisting of lead vocalist James Priestner, bassist Jan Cajka, drummer Duran Ritz, and brother and co-writer Jared Priestner — have made a name for themselves with the use of visual media to tell the gripling stories behind their songs that have reached audiences globally. The band have gone all in on building an animated universe via their own award-winning animation company, Crooked City Studios, producing content for the likes of HBO Max, New Balance, Jessie Reyez, and Donald Glover in addition to their own releases to pair with their musical output, making their fandom unique among other contemporary artists when it comes to how they engage with the group’s catalog.

In a world crammed with bullshit, Rare Americans are the real deal. They 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. Needless to say, their music and message cements them as forces not to be fucked with and you’ll want to stay tuned for what the band has in store in the coming months!

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