Who would have known that one random night in New York would have meant the beginning of a beautiful relationship for Pat Via, Mitch Mitchell, and Peter Scialla – better known as January Jane? The pop rock trio hit things off after a few chance encounters and brief exchanges, finding that they were all totally capable of being the next best thing in music. Years of hard work and putting themselves out there lead to the release of their debut EP last week, which is an ode to the city that started it all. We were able to catch up with lead vocalist Pat and guitarist Mitch to go over the creation of the EP, some of their favorite spots in the city, and why a nice lobster or glass of tequila would pair nicely with the tracks on the record.
Photo by Peter Roessler
Photo by Peter RoesslerJanuary Jane is (from left to right):
Peter Scialla – keyboards
Pat Via – lead vocals/lyrics
Mitch Mitchell – guitar
Melodic Mag: You guys have just released your debut EP, Your Drug! How long have you been working on the project, and do you have any favorite memories from the experience?
Pat: It’s been a wild ride with these songs. A lot of them started back a few years ago and worked on and off until now. So many memories especially when reworking them a few times, but the best memory is that they were released!
Mitch: Exactly! For example, we first wrote and recorded “Versions of You” in 2017! When we signed with BMG last summer, they went through our entire catalogue with Matt Pinfield (legendary musicologist/KLOS DJ), which included around 50 songs. When “Versions of You” was identified as a single, we re-opened the track and just injected a little filler, you know, which is all the rage these days 😉 So, seeing that song on Billboard Top 40 HOT AC charts for nine or ten weeks has definitely been a highlight for us.
MM: How did you come up with the final tracklist? Were there a lot of tracks to choose from?
Pat: We are always writing and always recording, so there were so many songs to choose from. Luckily, we were fortunate to have BMG and Matt Pinfield to help us choose the songs that were released.
Mitch: For us, it would be like choosing between our quintuplets…and that’s just for an EP! Imagine having to choose between 50 of your babies?!? [laughs] Having Matt and BMG has been a real blessing!
MM: I hear that listeners can expect “all of the fun of a late night dance party in NYC with none of the hangover” from the record – what’s the worst hangover you’ve ever had?
Pat: Probably New Year’s Eve a few years ago, staying up way too late and mixing whiskey and tequila – still had a good time!
Mitch: We played this festival in Prague a couple of years ago, and I must have missed the memo because had I known that we were performing live on TV the next morning, I would have made different decisions! [laughs] Thank God for sunglasses 😉
MM: What are some of your favorite go-to spots to take friends or family in NYC?
Pat: Depending on who it is, and what time of day, I’d say Tao Downtown and Hop Kee in Chinatown for late night eats. Can’t go wrong with either!
Mitch: Well, we had a great time at Catch last night (Meatpacking District) and Tao is right downstairs. However, whenever tourists ask, I say, “The M&M Store in Time Square is pretty awesome… and there’s an Olive Garden right down the street!” [laughs] Just kidding!
MM: Congratulations on “Versions of You,” which has been on Billboard’s Top 40 HOT AC Charts! How does it feel to see the track do so well?
Pat: We are humbled and honored to have reached that moment; it’s really a dream come true. So much work and pushing forward; it really had us jumpin’ up and down.
Mitch: Thank you so much! It’s definitely been a highlight for us.
MM: Can you tell us more about why you chose to call the EP Your Drug?
Pat: Originally, it was going to be called Versions of You, but the EP is a collection of experiences in New York City and encompassed more overall of those experiences. Maybe the greatest drug of all is love, maybe it’s this city, maybe it’s the listener.
Mitch: Yeah, we thought it would be a little confusing if the first single and the EP shared the same name… I’ll make up a more artistic rationale later 😉 [laughs]
MM: Where are some places you would like to play on tour?
Pat: We’d love to tour anywhere and everywhere! Asia would be amazing, lots of ground to cover and countries I’ve always wanted to explore.
Mitch: 100% we’d love to tour Asia! We also said that we wanted to be the first band to perform on the moon, but right now, I’m just hoping that SXSW isn’t cancelled again.
MM: Do you know if Hall & Oates have heard your cover of their song, “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”?
Pat: We know BMG sent it over, so we’re thinking yes! Let’s go with yes 🙂
Mitch: I certainly hope so! We’re big fans of theirs, so I’d love to know what they think.
MM: After watching some of your “Chef BoyarVia” segments, I started wondering – are there any special dishes that you think would pair nicely with a late-night listening of the EP?
Pat: The great part of music is it can evoke so many different emotions at different times, but we think the EP definitely has an energy of everything from a lobster to a ribeye to your favorite late night eats – anything a night on the town would have!
Mitch: We like to think of our EP as a delicious, scrumptious, smorgasbord of our experiences in NYC…all of which, at the time, paired beautifully with tequila!
MM: Which songs are you most excited for people to hear?
Pat: For me, it’s hard to pick between them all because they’re all unique in their own way, so all of them! We hope we can take people on a journey that they’ll never forget, and listening to them all is the map you need to take that journey.
Mitch: The song I’m most excited for people to hear is always the next one. So press play and enjoy!
MM: Final comments or shoutouts?
Pat: Shoutout to all the fans, BMG, Whiskey Vinyl, and Matt Pinfield – we couldn’t have done it without you!
Mitch: See you soon!!
Thanks again, Pat and Mitch! We are so excited for you guys on achieving such a milestone, and we look forward to all that you will accomplish next.
You can listen to Your Drug on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with January Jane: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // TikTok // Website
