Mean Jolene

In the summer of 2015, After a turbulent period involving some health issues and break ups, Jolie Cota Flink started writing songs that eventually became Mean Jolene’s 10-song debut LP, “Salty”. The album expresses themes of extreme highs and lows and on the surface could be considered a diss album, laced with bitterness, heartache and tongue-in-cheek snottiness, but it’s also a sincere album about self-acceptance. Sophomore album, “Try Harder” (released September of 2019), features 10 songs that are expansive, ambitious and more mature than previous efforts; the album is a synthesis of influences such as Shonen Knife, Nikki and the Corvettes and the Breeders. “Try Harder” is Mean Jolene’s deepest journey yet into melodic, towering power-pop with roaring guitar riffs over dynamic, effected rhythm guitar and layered vocal harmonies. Mean Jolene’s aesthetic started with empowered femininity and devil-may-care attitudes, but it has evolved into a juxtaposition of vulnerable lyrics and a larger-than-life persona delivering them, backed by upbeat, energetic pop music. Try Harder explores and celebrates this duality; Jolie expands on extreme feelings of love, loss and the challenges of navigating the world with emotional disorder.