Common Jack

Brooklyn based indie folk-rock outfit Common Jack was formed by singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist John Gardner during a two and a half year world tour with the actor-musician Broadway show, Once. Based on the indie film of the same name, starring Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova of The Frames / Swell Season, Gardner spent those years playing Hansard & Irglova’s music for sold out houses in America, Canada, and Japan while gigging with his own material during his free time.

While many of the early recordings consisted of Gardner playing every instrument in a more traditional folk set up, Common Jack has come to include a rotation of other musicians on fiddle, electric guitar, drums, and synths/organs.

In this interview, we discuss influences, surviving as an indie muso in a digital era, and the new single coming out August 9th.

Full Q&A and a stream is available below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

I grew up in the southern states surrounded by folk music. My father is a huge folk lover so there were always instruments laying around our house, you know, guitars, banjo, mandolin, and piano. Growing up, I would pick one them up and just try to figure it out. It wasn’t limited to that genre, though. My parents had a really eclectic taste in music. My mom was an opera singer so a lot of my childhood was spent listening to her sing all those monolithic classical composers as well as a lot of jazz stuff; Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, great composers like that. It was between those styles that I found my own love of rock music. All of it. Everything from Bob Dylan and the Beatles to Patti Smith to ACDC to Jeff Buckley to My Chemical Romance. I couldn’t get enough of it. This is all a long way of saying I love a lot of different genres but there’s something about the traditions of folk music that are the most evocative and accessible to me, the timelessness of that music is really appealing. Odetta’s voice will always cut straight through you. That’s why Common Jack leans towards the folk side of everything, even when we’re trying to be a rock band. It’s just what I know best.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

I’ve been writing songs and poetry for about ten years but I didn’t start showing my stuff to others until about three years ago. I guess they felt a little too personal and I felt a too guarded but at some point I realized they weren’t doing anybody any good by not being shared. I’m also an actor by trade and I found myself doing a two and a half year world tour of a cool actor/musician Broadway show called Once, which is based on a movie of the same name that stars Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova. They’re both massive inspirations to me and it was during that tour that I found some time in the different cities we stopped at to play in bars and venues with my own music. That’s when the bug bit me, I guess you could say.

Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

I’ve been reading a lot of Kate Tempest lately. Her poetry is gripping & always leaves me feeling more inspired to write if I’m feeling stuck. You know, songwriting can be the most boring, mundane thing in the world but the feeling I get when I finish a song I’m proud of is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s not about phony accolades or pats on the back you get from friends or people at shows, that’s all fleeting. It’s about making something I would want to hear. Something that changes me, challenges me, or just feels damn good to listen to. That’s when I know I’ve succeeded. If it speaks to me then there’s got to be someone else out there who will also connect with it. And that’s what it’s all about, right? Building bridges to each other is what art is for.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

Yeah. In a lot of ways, Harper James, my co-producer, and I were trying to simplify things. We wanted to do away with any tricks or gimmicks and let the songs speak for themselves. I also pushed against my own boundaries in writing a lot of these tunes. I wanted to say things that I feel are important to me and to my generation’s experience in life. It would be easy to write 12 tracks of “hey I just met you” love songs and stomping folk anthems but that felt fake because there’s just so much more going on. In a way, I wanted to go a step further and pull the scope back to look at how our relationships with each other work in the bigger picture of our time here on Earth. It’s about where we each fit in this life we’ve created, whatever that means to you, and putting all of that into music that feels good to listen to. That’s the most important part.

What was the last song you listened to?

Look Out Mama by Hurray for the Riff Raff. Love them!

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Vinyl. And vinyl album art. It makes me feel so much more connected to what I’m listening to. In today’s digital age, it almost seems like more of a novelty at times, doesn’t it? But I don’t care, my vinyl copy of Blonde on Blonde is one of my favorite things I own.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Spotify. Okay, bring on the protests of “but they barely pay the artist!” or “it’s all for corporate profit!” I get it. I hate the exposure-in-place-of-money narrative that’s hurled at so many young artists too but there’s something valuable in Spotify to emerging songwriters. You suddenly have a global audience at your fingertips. And yeah, it’s up to you to be creative in how you funnel those listeners to your page & Spotify is pretty saturated but ultimately I think it’s useful for those who aren’t major label artists. The mistake some people make is thinking Spotify is the end-all-be-all. It’s not. It’s just a tool. A stepping stone to help you across the river.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

To me, it’s the balancing act of staying true to yourself while trying to find ways to separate your sound from the pack. There’s a lot of really good music out there that sadly won’t get heard because it sounds too much like other bands or it’s chasing a fad or something like that. Not only in music but also in life, it’s super easy for all of us to adhere to what we think we should be doing, right? ‘Should’ is a terrible word. I hate it.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

Yep! My band and I gig as much as we can here in New York. We love venues like Rockwood Music Hall & The Bowery Electric. We’re also gearing up for our record release party at Piano’s on September 9! Very excited for that.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

We’ve got social media pages that are easy to remember. We’re commonjackmusic on Facebook or @commonjackmusic on Twitter and Instagram. We’re on Spotify, Bandcamp, & Soundcloud too but we prefer to connect with people live at shows. So if you’re in the NYC area, follow us on Bandsintown and come on out! If you’re not in the area, social media is good too. We’re working on some bigger touring plans too so maybe we’ll see you in your town soon!

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

If you feel it, you better do it. - Middle Tennessee Music

If you’re looking for a new folk band to listen repeatedly this summer, I may have found your answer.

Common Jack are a band consisting of Film, TV and Broadway actors based in New York, founded by singer-songwriter John Gardner. Their folk and even bluesy feeling tracks with socio-political lyrics make for a great combination.

Their first LP ‘Bowl, Holland’ was released back in 2015 and showed great potential. Songs such as ‘Skin and Bone’ remind me of music bigs Mumford and Sons, adding a pop-folk feel to the LP.

You then have tracks such as ‘Restless’ that, along with being a personal favourite, remind me of Vance Joy’s ‘Dream Your Life Away’ album as well as the tracks ‘I Fall Away’ and ‘She Don’t’ being reminiscent of the great City and Colour.

As soon as ‘Bowl, Holland’ was released in December of last year, the work quickly began on a second LP. The newly released single ‘Spanish Bird’ gives us a taste of the folk and acoustic feel that the upcoming LP is bound to have.

The date for their next LP is yet to be confirmed but keep your eyes peeled around September to hear more from the lovely Common Jack. Meanwhile, you can find Bowl Holland on both Spotify and iTunes - Mytacism Music

The Tony Award-winning musical “Once,” about love blooming in a Dublin bar, has a memorable score; the cast recording won the Grammy Award for best musical theater album. But if any audience members at the touring version of the show that hits Boston Dec. 8 peer into the orchestra pit, they won’t see anybody there. That’s because the musicians are all onstage. In fact, each member of the 13-person cast doubles as part of the musical ensemble. They stay onstage throughout the performance, dancing around the action (with their instruments) or taking seats on either side when they’re not in the scene.

To pull off this feat, the show’s creators not only needed to find actor/musicians with the technical skills to master both sides of the job, but to prepare the cast for the physical rigors of the show.

“That extra weight of a guitar slung over your back, even though it’s not much, after eight times a week it’ll start to mess with your spine,” says John Steven Gardner, who plays Eamon, and guitar, in the show. Gardner also has the job of music captain, making sure the musical numbers stay in proper shape from night to night, and city to city.

During an extra-long rehearsal period, the cast learned stretches and exercises to prepare for the special demands of their roles. They also learned the art of playing together as a seamless musical ensemble, while executing the show’s choreography and, of course, portraying their characters.

The result has been a musical community of actor/musicians who’ve taken to collaborating both in and outside the context of “Once.”

While in town, several cast members will step out on Dec. 14 to perform with their bands at the Middle East Upstairs. It’s a CD release for Gardner’s new album of original music, with performers including cast member Ryan Link (who plays Emcee in the show), and Youth In A Roman Field, a chamber-folk group led by Claire Wellin, who plays Reza.

Wellin also arranged strings for an album by Stuart Ward, who plays the central character of Guy. Several other performers have criss-crossed in various musical collaborations.

“It just kind of became a community where you go, hey, do you want to work on these songs together? I’m going to get some studio time and record them,” says Wellin. “It has been a really cool environment in which to share what’s been going on in our musical minds. And it’s amazing how much that strengthens us on the stage.”

There’s also a chance for guitar-playing fans of the show to get in on the action. On Dec. 9 at12:30 p.m., the Citi Performing Arts Center is staging what it hopes will be a massive group performance of “Falling Slowly” at the Shubert. “We are looking to bring together as many guitarists as possible,” Citi Center president and CEO Josiah A. Spaulding Jr. said in a statement. (Sign-up information is at www.citicenter.org/guitars.)

“I think there’s something so visceral and so moving about watching a cast navigate every single aspect of a musical by themselves. It’s unbelievably powerful to hear the music swell as Guy and Girl fall in love,” Gardner says, “and realize that they’re the ones swelling the music.” - The Boston Globe

Common Jack (from the album Strange New State) - The stage went into the studio as Common Jack (aka John Gardner) assembled a group of Broadway, TV, and film actors as the core for his Folk Rock band on Strange New State, the recent release from the group. Common Jack was created by songwriter John Gardner while on a two and a half year world tour with the theatrical company of Once. The Roots of Common Jack snags the Indie style of musical inclusivity while Strange New State keeps the Folk structure in its song. The blend of rock and roots flies under an Americana flag as ambient strings flutter on sound waves in “I Woke Up This Morning (and Went Walking”) while clear vocals have the crispness of a fall morning as “Old Faded Flag” busks a street corner symphony against an inner-city scene backdrop.


The revolution of rock’n’roll spins the songs on Strange New State with its ability to be a musical melting pot that is inclusive of a community of genres. Common Jack walks into the skin of his characters, feeling the same desperation in “Fine Line”, showing unhealed scars of a relationship displayed over guitar jangle with “I Still Think of You”, staggers a beat as distorted riffs fly around as Strange New State asks “Who’s Feeling Young Now?”, and quietly requests “A Little Time” with lightly swaying strums and echoey electric guitar notes. The album is bold as it introduces “Eli Fletcher” on self-assured chords and confident keyboards while marching within strict lines to keep the beat on “Forever Mr. Crowne!”. Common Jack hits a universal note as life loops within the gentle guitar noodlings and warm keyboards of “Babe, We’ve Been Here Before” as Strange New State sets a modern day drama defined by “Postmodern Blues”. - The Alternate Root Magazine

Common Jack releases a new single today, called “Restless.” Common Jack is the musical project of Jack Gardner, who played a primary role and seven instruments in the Broadway show Once, along with functioning as the show’s “on-site music director.” Even though touring the world with Once, Gardner was writing his own music. He put together a band composed of cast members from Once, calling it Common Jack.

In 2015, Common Jack dropped a debut album, called Bowl, Holland, which was followed a year later by another album, Strange New State, produced by Harper James of EIGHTY-NINETY. Strange New State struck a chord with listeners in the U.S. and Europe, achieving great success.

Stylistically, Common Jack is best described as Americana, amalgamating pop and rock elements into the Americana matrix to create an innovative, contemporary brand of music still reflecting Americana influences.

“Restless” begins with a brightly thrumming guitar and a solid groove. The melody emanates a folk pop essence, along with the dynamic flow inherent in rock. The upbeat tempo exudes glistening harmonics provided by layered guitar accents that intersect as the tune proceeds. As the melody intensifies a delightful fiddle adds a novel briskness and residual energy. The steady thump of the bass drum provides rhythmic direction and impetus. And the twinkling ringing accents infuse the tune with shimmering sonic hues hovering on transience but spilling over into hooks of delicious permanence.

Gardner’s dulcet tenor reminds me of Billy Joel, delivering a singularly impressive range and oodles of hormonal exuberance. His vocal range extends from a subdued veneer of energetic declaration to a ramped up cogent assertion of focused vocal intensity.

The lyrics append delightful musings, explanations and rationales for the restlessness plaguing the vocalist, infusing the music with an image of predictability giving way to charming randomness.

“Please excuse my style today / It’s not that I don’t care / It’s just a phase / The restless dog is at my heels / Nipping, biting no matter how I pray / The more I try to use my eyes / The more I see the pictures start to fray / The moon becomes the sun becomes the moon again / The pendulum will sway / Swaying, swaying, swaying / Swaying so hard / It hits, hits, hits / It hits so hard.” And then the chorus: “Tell me something I don’t know / Before I get dumber / Show me something new / ‘Cuz I’m already kinda’ bored / Yeah, maybe I saw your fire / But can you really blame me / What’s the good of fire / If you’re just gonna’ sit and stare / Just don’t sit and stare.”

Common Jack has it going on in great big bunches! The melody streams with an infectious relish of scrumptious flavors, while Gardner’s pleasing voice, full of muscular sonority, emanates a sparkling resonance, as if he can no longer restrain his inner impatience. “Restless” is a superb song. You certainly don’t want to miss this one. - The Huffington Post