Jewels and Johnny Nation
 

Trash rock royalty meets Broadway baby.....

and musical magic is made.

Together, they create hook filled, heartfelt rock & roll songs

and have a blast learning hundreds of covers


"Jewels & Johnny Nation capture a spirit that is like June Carter Cash fronting a late 60s country/folk/psych band.

Elements of Bakersfield mix with the Sunset Strip creating a warm, harmony-driven, infectious sound"
 

 

The rock & roll surfer and the drumming dynamo present a live show that is energetic, engaging, and entertaining.
Continually touring, writing, and recording, they have built a solid catalogue of organic, original songs and a set list that is ever evolving.

Nomadic surfer. Riff master. Rock & roll historian: 
Growing up in the lost bohemian paradise that was the Snake Pit of lower Topanga Canyon, Johnny Nation first felt the power of rock & roll when his brother brought home Ziggy Stardust on vinyl. Blown away by Mick Ronson's flamboyant style, he picked up a guitar for the first time and never put it down again. By age 21 he was touring the country with punk princess, Lydia Lunch. At the peak of the glory days of the Sunset Strip he was asked to join seminal LA cowpunk band The Joneses as lead guitarist. Voted by LA Weekly as "The Best Live Band in LA," The Joneses played every temple of rock on the Strip and opened for huge acts including Johnny Thunders. A band's band - they inspired Guns & Roses, Poison, LA Guns and countless others - culminating in a major label record deal and the release of their charting album "KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES".
"Johnny is a true believer, his undying faith in the pure beauty of rock & roll keeps me going" says Jewels,
"He's a low-key rock & roll hero, like John Wayne....but with a Les Paul"

Comedienne. Drummer. Go-go dancer: Growing up in New York City, Jewels was a Broadway baby, using her powerful voice and expressive face and body to immediately connect with audiences. She attended the High School Of Performing Arts and got her SAG card working on FAME. She  appeared on & off Broadway, in film & TV, and had a highly successful voice over career. Later, she moved to Chicago and studied and performed improvisation at The Second City. She began writing honest and funny poems, soon they became lyrics that blended perfectly with Johnny's irresistible hooks. 

"Jewels takes my big ideas and finds exactly the right words for the song" says Johnny. "plus she's like a cross between Mark Bolan and Loretta Lynn on stage, so much fun to watch."

The J & J sound blends influences from Sun Records to psychedelia,
California country to 70s style folk rock,
add a bit of British blues and some theatrical glam rock flourishes,
and you get a mix that's an infectious good time.

Read a more detailed bio below:

 
It was a magical night in 2002 at Jumbo's Clown Room when Johnny met Jewels. 
"I saw her hair, it was calling to me, so I caught her eye..." Johnny writes about that night in "Pictures Together" "I asked for a photo, she said okay and we posed by the wall. She made me wait until the next day, when she finally called...." They sang together at a party before they ever kissed - "The Age Of Aquarius" - and musical sparks flew. But like the songs says, "It Took So Long To Fall In Love" and it wasn't until 2004 that they formed their band CITY FRITTER after a songwriting workshop with Jimmie Dale Gilmore at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. 
 
CITY FRITTER happily performed extensively for enthusiastic audiences at nearly every venue in LA for the next 8 years. Some favorites:The Grand Ole Echo, The Basement Tavern, The Mint, Canter's Kibitz Room, The House of Blues, Molly Malone's, The Viper Room, and Cinema Bar. They still play regularly at the Santa Monica Farmers Market for crowds of up to 2,000 people.
 
In the close knit community of Topanga Canyon, Jewels and Johnny are long time local favorites, playing the Topanga Days Country Fair and The Topanga Earth Day Festival and sharing the stage with Ziggy Marley, Canned Heat, Billy Idol, and Maria McKee amongst others. They've hosted open mics, songwriter nights, and countless backyard barbecue jam sessions. Topanga's rich musical history and diverse talent pool provide constant inspiration and support for their music.

When they are off the road, Jewels and Johnny spend a lot of time in Joshua Tree, California developing their off the grid homestead. Pappy & Harriets, The Joshua Tree Music Festival, The Palms in wacky Wonder Valley, Joshua Tree Saloon, The Cosmic American Music Festival (Gramfest), and the legendary Beatnik Lounge have all hosted their magical musical melange. They are proud to be a part of the eclectic music scene of that bohemian enclave as well, returning to the peace and magic of the desert to recharge their creative batteries. Married at Indian Cove by their rock & roll godmother, Miss Pamela des Barres, they have a deep spiritual connection to the monument and its surrounding desert communities. 

Besides touring Northern and Southern California extensively, J & J  have also toured the east coast including notable tour stops in New York City, Philadelphia, the beautiful Berkshire mountains, and the legendary musical area around Woodstock in upstate New York. They've toured Utah in the winter, playing all over Park City during the Sundance Film Festival for 2 years as part of the Access Film/Music Showcase Series.
They've spent the last several winters in Baja, California Sur, Mexico; surfing, writing songs and playing shows.
In January 2014 they played the Todos Santos Music Festival produced by Peter Buck of REM.
They continue to be a regular part of the Tropic Of Cancer Concert Series every winter, curated by Joe Firstman and Cordovas

2012 brought a big change; Jewels and Johnny decided to retire the band name and perform using their own names. "I'd always been in bands but never had a chance to get my own name out there as a songwriter and artist. I felt like it was time." says Johnny. "And I was lucky enough to marry a guy with a pretty cool rock & roll name" says Jewels  "so it was an easy decision to make the change."

 
Their most recent record "Captured And Released" dropped in the fall of 2019 using THE NATIONS as their new moniker. It features 3 studio tracks and 4 tracks recorded live at Topanga Days 2018. This potent blend of studio and live tracks gives the record an immediacy and a vibrant quality that replicates the energy of their live show. A surprising mix of covers and brand new originals will delight their fans - old & new.

Wherever they play, audiences respond immediately and positively to the unique sound and stage presence of the duo. High energy vocals meet tasty California-style riffs  - a curly haired dynamo gets the crowd moving by dancing up a storm while a cool and handsome rock & roller takes his licks on a beautiful collection of vintage, high quality guitars. Check out the GEAR page for an up to date list of Johnny's equipment.
After supporting the sound for years with a variety of percussion, 2020 saw the addition of a stand up drum kit for Jewels and she's having a ball playing it.

The Nations show is a good time, a musical treat, and also something of a rock & roll history lesson since they enjoy sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of the origins of the music they play. Like The Grateful Dead before them, Jewels and Johnny pepper their live show with their own interpretations of songs that have inspired them, choosing from a song list of over 200 covers that they have skillfully arranged. 

Although Johnny’s background was in rock & roll and Jewels’ was in theatre, soon after meeting and starting to jam, they discovered a mutual curiosity about the history of country music and a real appreciation and deep love of the form. Together they dug deep into traditional, mainstream, outlaw, and cosmic American music - approaching and interpreting it all with new eyes and a fresh perspective. The chemistry between them is apparent onstage and they’re having so much fun together, the good time is infectious. Jewels' stage banter is off the cuff and right on point, she engages the crowd with wisecracks and stories when the vibe is right. They can also shut up and just play, song, after song, after song......Their versatile live shows range from intimate, acoustic duo gigs to full on rock shows where they are supported by a revolving group of talented players they have connected with in various cities on tour. Different rhythm sections and support players keep the sound fresh and evolving. 
 
Previous releases include:
"OUTDOOR BOOGIE" an all original 10 track CD including "When Harrison Hit The Haight" - a psychedelic rocker about our favorite Beatle, and "Skye" a deeply personal song with a beautiful accompanying video, and of course, The title track about Mendocino in the 70s. "Oh, Oh, Mendo……" 
"Big City Breakdown" - a return to Johnny's rock & roll roots featuring some grittier, less twangy material like the bluesy rocker "Build Me A Treehouse" and the jangly, Byrds-y "Look Like Now" It was produced with Jim Watts (Gram Rabbit, Emmylou Harris, String Cheese Incident) 

Jewels and Johnny received their first big song placement in 2006 - the upbeat 2-stepper "DON'T YOU KNOW" can be heard in the 20th Century Fox feature film "FLICKA" starring Tim McGraw. They've had several other songs placed in independent films and commercials and are actively pursuing other licensing opportunities. 

"Don't You Know" is included on the CITY FRITTER release "FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT" produced by Eric Corne at the late, great Mad Dog Studio. In addition, CITY FRITTER released 2 earlier EPs both of which sold out their initial runs completely: the 5 track self titled debut "CITY FRITTER" and the 7 track all acoustic "JUST US". Though hard copies have now become collectors items, they are still available for download here on our website or iTunes.

Check the SHOWS page to find out when and where we're playing next,
and be sure to sign our e-mail list below for a FREE download! 

Thanks for listening and PEACE!