Joslyn & The Sweet Compression are bona fide, and they want the world to know it.
A rising force out of Lexington, Kentucky, the band led by Joslyn Hampton come out swinging on their sophomore album, ready to uplift and inspire through their singular and stirring soul-funk sound. 2019’s critically acclaimed debut album made them a favorite headliner at regional clubs and music festivals. After a grueling and relentless tour schedule – one that saw them supporting Tower of Power at New York’s Sony Hall and Tyler Childers at Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre – the band are back with Bona Fide, a sonically and emotionally charged record that captures their breathtaking live energy as well as their humanity.
Released August 25, 2023, Bona Fide is a resounding testament to Joslyn & The Sweet Compression’s unparalleled talents, as well as an homage to the band’s co-founder (and Joslyn Hampton’s step-father), Marty Charters, who passed away in 2022.
Musically, Bona Fide blends soulful and smoldering neo-funk with elements of ‘70s and ‘80s R&B. Hampton pulls from her inspirations – Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey – as well as from the opera singers she studied in college. “I find myself applying all of the things I’ve learned to my passion now, and placing it in my music,” she shares.
The result is a unique, hooky style that helps Joslyn & The Sweet Compression stand apart from their contemporaries. To Hampton, Bona Fide is a record about a ride she calls “the human rollercoaster.”
“You have falling in love, getting cheated on, celebrating this life – you only get one,” she says. “We go through so many human emotions on this album, and that’s what I want to bring to life: The ride of being a human! I want to take you to the moment you found the love of your life when you looked across the room. This album is literally meant to take you to every human emotion you have.”
“I want them to see themselves in my songs and inspire them to be the best version of themselves.”
Joslyn & The Sweet Compression are Bona Fide, ready to bring their love and joy to audiences everywhere.
HIS MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BRING TO LIFE AN ORIGINAL AMERICANA EXPERIENCE WHILE JAMMIN’ IN PLENTY OF DEEP CUTS TO GO AROUND
BORN AND RAISED ON MARYLAND’S EASTERN SHORE, PARKER ZELTER MCCOWN BRINGS A CHARISMATIC ENERGY TO THE MICROPHONE. HE STUDIED COMMUNICATION AND MUSIC INDUSTRY AT JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY.
THOUGH HIS ROOTS IN MARYLAND ARE STRONG, HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC AND NATURE HAVE LED HIM ON ADVENTURES ALL AROUND THE WORLD. FROM WORKING AS A ROADIE FOR THE WAILERS, TO WORKING AS A 1ST MATE ABOARD A DEEP SEA CHARTER FISHING BOAT OFF OAHU’S WEST SIDE IN HAWAII, AND ON TO BECOMING AN ORIGINAL CAST MEMBER ON BRAVO’S BELOW DECK SAILING YACHT, IT’S NO MISTAKE THAT PARKER ENJOYS A GOOD TIME.
MOST RECENTLY, PARKER’S CAREER PATH HAS TURNED TO MUSIC. HIS MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BRING TO LIFE AN ORIGINAL AMERICANA EXPERIENCE WHILE JAMMIN’ IN PLENTY OF DEEP CUTS TO GO AROUND. PARKER SPENT TIME PLAYING WITH BLUEGRASS/AMERICANA MUSICIANS IN COLORADO AND PRODUCED VARIOUS MUSIC VIDEOS AS WELL AS HIS FIRST ALBUM, WHICH FEATURES ALLIE KRAL.
PARKER WAS A PRODUCER OF YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND’S NEWEST MUSIC VIDEO, INTO THE FIRE. HE WAS THIS YEAR’S OFFICIAL CRABCAKE JUDGE ALONGSIDE JEREMY GARRETT, OF THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, AT BALTIMORE’S VERY OWN CHARM CITY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL.
