Biography

JP DEN TEX (originally from Amsterdam, Holland) is an ‘Emotional Nomad’, wandering in a musical landscape somewhere between Americana and traditional European genres (such as French chanson). Den Tex has been very successful in bringing his cosmopolitan message across lately.

JP's first notable musical adventure was in the early 70’s as a member of Tortilla, a legendary Dutch band whose music would now be described as alt.country. Later, in the 80’s, Den Tex recorded five critically acclaimed solo albums - including his little masterpiece ‘A Quiet Street In Paris’. His lyrics changed gradually from melancholic observations (The Man, The Woman & The Dog) to very personal short stories: with the author himself as the often passionate focal point. JP also started integrating more and more European elements into his songwriting, often using bits of French or Italian to give his music a distinctly continental flavour. At the beginning of the 90’s JP interrupted his solo activities to participate in the rebellious retro ensemble 'Les Gueux' (CD ‘After Hours’ – 1992). A strong belief in the values of European musical tradition lay at the heart of the group's formation. In 1998 he formed a new band of his own, releasing a rootsy and touchingly candid first album: Emotional Nomads. "Painstakingly honest, that’s how I'd like to be" JP wrote in the CD booklet. Emotional Nomads was originally conceived as a musical diary: the day by day, creative digestion of a long, romantic love affair ending on a sudden cruel note. In 2000 it was followed by the moody ‘Hotel Yankee Tango’ - and later by the capricious, almost lighthearted ‘La Jeune Fille Au Chewing Gum’ JP DEN TEX' first (solo) album for CoraZong Records (in 2004).

On 'Bad French' JP is rejoined by 'The Emotional Nomads'. And if 'Emotional Nomads' could be dubbed a musical diary 'Bad French' should be considered 'a European soundtrack to an American roadmovie'. A European writer - who's temporarily residing in NYC to assemble material for a new non-fiction book ("The American Dream... Does It Still Exist?") - encounters a surprisingly well-educated Russian escort girl on Coney Island. When she tells him she gets frequently beaten by her lover-boss Lev, the writer kindly offers to lead her out of her predicament, into the relative safety of the vast American heartland. She accepts - and in the weeks that follow they jointly discover the customs, landscapes (and music!) of the various states they're passing through, on their way out west. All the while mixed up in a tender, yet unstable love affair destined to go awry.

In the reviews 'Bad French' has been called one of JP's career highlights: ranging from "Beatnik Americana!!" to "A savvy, artistic enterprise: JP's shaking blues & pop into a great, new American cocktail brimming with eclectic rapture…" (Music For Pleasure)

Which kind of mood the songs for the new album (due out in March 2009) will reflect is hard to predict. With "Emotional Nomads" you're never quite sure which way you're heading…