JSL began in 2005 and has gradually morphed into the group it is today of Jae Stevens, Anders Nilsson, Luke Greskowiak, and Jason Lurie. Since the quartet solidified at the University of Michigan, Stevens has proven to be a fearsomely prolific tunesmith with a voice that’s as suited to electronica as it is to mopey folk. In late 2005, the group self-produced and released their first album entitled The Studio 6 EP: recorded entirely in fragments between dorm rooms and fraternity basements.

Recorded while the band was still in their teens, the Studio 6 EP evokes the anxiousness of raspy-voiced, guitar-fueled rave-ups, yet ads a sentimental flare; and people have taken to the music without hesitation: Volkswagen featured ‘For a Beat’ and ‘Fine, go’ in the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, ‘Don’t Even Know Me’ topped the Myspace acoustic rock charts for the first month of its release, and the EP has since been in rotation at several midwest University radio stations. While their debut album was praised by fans, their peers took notice as well. JSL has since shared the stage with the likes of Jesse Payne and fellow Detroit R&B rockers: Green Street.

Now, Jae Stevens Live is nearing completion of their first full length album tentatively titled ‘When what if gets the best of us’ to be released in early July of 2007. Having cemented a substantial foothold from their first release, the band continues to prove that Liberal Arts kids can make great music, as ‘When what if’ is sure to diversify the pop-rock genre. The LP aims for a moody mix of heavy-hearted hooks that fit snugly in a playlist with the Goo Goo Dolls, Maroon 5, and Jeff Buckley. Armed with the band’s first music video for their debut single ‘Borderline’ and an arsenal of new songs spanning acoustic rock and electronica, JSL gladly leaves behind the ivory towers of higher education for less dignified pursuits.