Biography
PJ Western crafts songs that fuse the buoyant energy of 1960s pop and rock, the mellow glow of 1970s soft rock, and modern dance-pop grooves, all laced with lyrics that carry a quiet sense of humor. Although the project surfaced in the 2020s, the individual behind the name had already spent nearly two decades making music before issuing his first solo effort, the 2023 album Here I Go.
The moniker belongs to Josh Epstein, a Michigan native who began his career in the indie rock outfit the Silent Years. That group came together in suburban Detroit in 2003 and specialized in guitar-driven material marked by strong melodies. They built a local audience in the Detroit scene, played shows across the country, and performed at the 2006 South by Southwest Music Conference. Following their 2009 EP Let's Go, the Silent Years disbanded, prompting Epstein to team with Daniel Zott on material that paired quirky pop instincts with electronic textures, yielding tracks that pulsed with dance-floor energy while retaining an underlying moodiness. The resulting act, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., issued the Horse Power EP on the Quite Scientific label in 2010. Strong reviews and regional sales led to a deal with Warner Bros. Records, which put out the full-length It's a Corporate World in 2011 and followed it with The Speed of Things two years later.
Confusion surrounding the band name, which occasionally drew NASCAR enthusiasts expecting to see the racing legend, prompted a 2015 rebranding as JR JR. The self-titled album JR JR appeared that September. After parting ways with Warner Bros. amid creative differences, the pair stockpiled new songs while navigating personal matters and hunting for fresh label support. Their own Love is Ez imprint released the double album Invocations/Conversations, drawn from unreleased sessions, in 2019. With JR JR having gone dormant and Epstein having relocated from Detroit to Los Angeles, he adopted the PJ Western name, began writing fresh material, and played sporadic club shows. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted live performances, he focused intensely on songwriting and sketched out a solo album. Enlisting producer and multi-instrumentalist Gus Seyffert—known for collaborations with Beck, Michelle Branch, Haim, and Bedouine, who also contributed vocals—Epstein tracked eleven tracks at Sargent Recorders in Los Angeles for Here I Go. Lead single “Blah Blah Blah” surfaced in June 2022, with the full album arriving via New West Records in August 2023.
The moniker belongs to Josh Epstein, a Michigan native who began his career in the indie rock outfit the Silent Years. That group came together in suburban Detroit in 2003 and specialized in guitar-driven material marked by strong melodies. They built a local audience in the Detroit scene, played shows across the country, and performed at the 2006 South by Southwest Music Conference. Following their 2009 EP Let's Go, the Silent Years disbanded, prompting Epstein to team with Daniel Zott on material that paired quirky pop instincts with electronic textures, yielding tracks that pulsed with dance-floor energy while retaining an underlying moodiness. The resulting act, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., issued the Horse Power EP on the Quite Scientific label in 2010. Strong reviews and regional sales led to a deal with Warner Bros. Records, which put out the full-length It's a Corporate World in 2011 and followed it with The Speed of Things two years later.
Confusion surrounding the band name, which occasionally drew NASCAR enthusiasts expecting to see the racing legend, prompted a 2015 rebranding as JR JR. The self-titled album JR JR appeared that September. After parting ways with Warner Bros. amid creative differences, the pair stockpiled new songs while navigating personal matters and hunting for fresh label support. Their own Love is Ez imprint released the double album Invocations/Conversations, drawn from unreleased sessions, in 2019. With JR JR having gone dormant and Epstein having relocated from Detroit to Los Angeles, he adopted the PJ Western name, began writing fresh material, and played sporadic club shows. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted live performances, he focused intensely on songwriting and sketched out a solo album. Enlisting producer and multi-instrumentalist Gus Seyffert—known for collaborations with Beck, Michelle Branch, Haim, and Bedouine, who also contributed vocals—Epstein tracked eleven tracks at Sargent Recorders in Los Angeles for Here I Go. Lead single “Blah Blah Blah” surfaced in June 2022, with the full album arriving via New West Records in August 2023.
Albums
Singles
