Paul Bass Photo
MJ Bones in the WNHH FM studio.
“If love is like an ocean,” MJ Bones was singing, “I’m lost at sea.”
Meanwhile, they sounded right at home, right where they belonged: Performing revelatory original songs on the ukulele, in New Haven.
Bones is a city-based folk-punk singer-songwriter and recording artist. They were performing a live set in the cramped WNHH FM studio at 51 Elm St. Thursday on an episode of “Acoustic Thursday @ Studio 51.”
Their songs cut deep, charting fears and frustrations about identity, navigating the thickets of life and love.
They began with a song called “Marooned,” with the above-mentioned lyric. Strumming the uke, they continued:
If earth is connection
I’m an island
Whatever you do, don’t get marooned on me …
On the program, Bones performed three other compositions as well: “Manic Pixie Nightmare,” “Fuss,” and “Maybe.”
In between the songs, they spoke about taking chances in making life choices: Originally from Michigan, they came to Never Ending Books on New Haven’s State Street for a gig. They fell in love — with the venue, with the city. A year later, in 2022, they came back to stay. They’re glad they did. (“I might be a lifer.”)
Bones is taking a chance on a novel distribution idea: Through April 22, listeners can order an exclusive version of an MJ Bones song that Bones will record, with a personalized message, on a seven-inch single-edition lathe-cut vinyl record. They’re teaming up on the project with the Leesta Vall Sound Recordings label in Brooklyn.
So click on the above video to watch MJ Bones performing on WNHH FM. If you like what you hear, or just want to learn more, check out one of their social media pages — on Instagram, Bandcamp, Facebook. Click here to order one of the exclusive vinyl recordings.
And if you, too, are a local musician interested in performing live on WNHH FM, click on the “E‑mail the Author” button at the top of this story to learn more.