They grew up playing music—they even had a band in high school—but they also knew college was a point in their path ahead. Jocelyn and Chris Arndt, class of 2017 and 2018 respectively, never expected that part of their journey to propel them in their music careers. But on this Cambridge campus and between shuttles to the Quad and back, dreams were realized.
I spoke with JCA shortly after they did a morning radio show session and were on the road to Rochester, NY. They were tired, had been up for a while, but they soldiered through to share all about themselves and their music.
As we started the interview, I asked them to tell me about their journey through as musicians through Harvard College. Chris replied, “When you say journey through the college, are you looking abstract?” His sister laughed, “That is such a Chris question.”
Jocelyn recalls thinking she’d never have time for a band in college, especially amid adjusting and getting in the groove of things. Jocelyn concentrated in English, while Chris concentrated in Computer Science. Still, the siblings realized music could be a career for them.
“I don’t know how we pulled it off! But we made it through, and I’m so glad we got to do both because we didn’t have to compromise. We love school. We love music. And we got to do both, which is crazy!” she said.
Most weekends during the school year, they were gone for gigs, but they were there during the week to get work done. As was true then, as artists, they still aim to put themselves “out there” in as many ways as they can and as often as they can. While reflecting on their undergrad experiences, they emphasized the importance of not being so caught up and busy you don’t have time to get coffee and have good talks with friends. Chris said times like these were really important.
Their latest album is called “The Fun in the Fight,” and it was released mid-February. Chris said he certainly thinks it’s their “best music yet.”
“Most of ‘The Fun in the Fight’ was written in Chris’s dorm room in Currier House,” Jocelyn said. “I’d hop on a bus, go to Boston, take the T up, and meet Chris. He’d swipe me into Currier, and we’d song-write. I’d hang out for two days, and whenever he’d go to class, I’d try to write lyrics.”
JCA define their music as indie blues rock and cite some of their favorites as Queen, Cory Wong, Pink Floyd, and Adele.
They’ll be on tour over the summer, and they’ll be touring with American Southern soul-rock band JJ Grey and Mofro, which they’re super excited about. They’re super stoked to play with them and tour in general. After having been in recording mode for a while, they’re excited to tour and meet lots of new people.