JERRY JOSEPH & THE JACK MORMONS - HEAD TO THE UK WITH ‘PANTER TRACKS V.2’
May 15, 2026 — Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons have announced the release of Panther Tracks Vol. 2, due out July 31, 2026. Following Panther Tracks Vol. 1, released in September 2025, the second installment in a planned four-volume series revisiting fan-favorite songs from the band’s legendary live sets that, until now, had never received proper studio recordings.
Produced by Jackmormons drummer Steve Drizos and recorded at his Portland studio, The Panther, the album features the core Jackmormons trio: Jerry Joseph on guitar and vocals, Steven James Wright on bass, and Drizos on drums. Frequent collaborators Jenny Conlee (piano/Wurlitzer) and Eric Martinez (guitar/backing vocals) also appear throughout the record with the Dimpker Brothers, Paul Brainard and Todd Wright each guesting on a song.
The track features Joseph, Wright, Drizos, Martinez, and Conlee, alongside backing vocals from Little Sue Weaver and pedal steel and trumpet from Paul Brainard. The searching, Americana-leaning, “I Think I’m Here” wrestles with memory, aging, regret, love, music, and identity. Joseph confronts the fear that a lifetime of stories and experiences may eventually disappear unheard, forgotten, or unbelieved. Yet the song ultimately lands somewhere hopeful with a realization that even after numbness and loss, moments of magic and connection can still be found.
The inspiration for the Panther Tracks started with the fans who wanted studio versions of their favourite songs that at the time, they could only hear via live versions or at a live show. Jerry explains, “A few years ago Dave Schools and I were talking about a parallel universe where I was a big rock star and which songs would be my hits. If you asked my fans, many of those songs are only on live records — songs that never saw studio versions. So we made a list of those songs and, with the momentum from Happy Book, our weekly virtual live show we started during Covid, we went into Steve Drizos’ studio, The Panther, and recorded them.”
The Panther Tracks recordings first emerged during the pandemic as a fan subscription series through Joseph’s website. Subscribers received a new song each month alongside stories about the songs’ origins and histories. Once the series ended, Joseph moved on to extensive touring behind his critically acclaimed Patterson Hood-produced album Beautiful Madness, followed by recording The Man Who Would Be King in Brooklyn with producer Eric Ambel and a cast of celebrated New York musicians.
Over the last year, Joseph returned to the Panther Tracks recordings, realizing the performances were simply too strong to remain hidden away. Pulled from a catalog spanning hundreds of songs, the tracks showcase Joseph’s gift for emotionally direct songwriting while capturing the chemistry of a band that has spent decades evolving together onstage.
With Drizos producing the Jackmormons for the first time, the sessions preserve the raw electricity and transformative feel of the live performances while adding depth, detail, and studio finesse. They aren’t live recordings — but they feel alive.
Vol. 1 was praised by Glide Magazine as “39 minutes of no-holds-barred visceral rock n’ roll” and by Americana Highways as “this is one hell of a satisfying romp”. Americana UK raved, “With the album over you just want to hit play again to relive the experience. …A masterclass in taking powerful performances into the studio without losing the raw energy of one of the great live singers. 9/10”
Ultimately, Panther Tracks is shaping up as the definitive Jackmormons stadium setlist: a love letter to longtime fans and a testament to one of underground rock’s most enduring and powerful live bands.
The Jackmormons will be joining Jerry in Germany where they will play Jamkraut-Festival on June 26 and the UK where they will play the Maverick Festival on July 3, as well as a headline show at the Water Rats in London on July 8th.
https://www.jerryjoseph.com/