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Oct 26, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Seth F. Johnson

Tomorrow, Atlanta-based indie folk singer/songwriter C. M. Jones is set to share his debut EP, Hurry Up and Lose. After cutting his teeth in a string of dream pop and alt country acts, Jones began in a new direction with his solo work, writing sparse, sincere, and plaintive indie folk. Like most folk singer/songwriters, Jones’ songwriting draws power from intimacy, tracing minimalist acoustic textures with a deft and poetic lyrical touch. Yet, Hurry Up and Lose also finds Jones using that space to bolster his vocals with resonant arrangements full of strings, woodwinds, and brass.

Today, ahead of the EP’s full release, Jones is sharing an early listen to the EP’s title track, “Hurry Up and Lose,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Hurry Up and Lose” is a soft and thoughtful effort, colored mainly by downtempo acoustic fingerpicking and wistful string arrangements. Together, these elements create a rich contrast of tones, with Jones’ moody baritone vocals and meditative guitar work forming the track’s foundations while the strings bring bursts of vibrant color into the mix. The results are both intimate and moving, filling the track with magnetic confession and sweeping emotion. Meanwhile, the lyrics find Jones meditating on the future, painting a portrait full of equal parts warmth and longing: “Watching my baby put on her makeup / Getting all dolled up / Like there’s somewhere to go / Stepping outside to warm the car up / Feeling expectations / You’ll be disappointed to know / I don’t have any solid plans for the future babe / Keep my bags packed / Hit the coat rack by the back door when I’m losing babe.”

Jones says of the track, “I wrote the EP’s title track ‘Hurry Up and Lose’ at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of marrying a wonderful person, without having the resources needed to give her a comfortable life. I was living in Montana at the time working with kids at an acute psychiatric hospital. I’ve never been a wealthy man, and I don’t aspire to be, but I do have a desire to make life as comfortable as possible for my partner. The song is written from the perspective of someone who feels undeserving of the goodness in their life. They have spent a lot of time avoiding challenges by running when things get hard, relieving them of the anxiety and pressure that comes with high expectations, at the expense of stability.”

Check out the song below. The Hurry Up and Lose EP is out on October 27th.