Their songs have more hooks than a bait shop, and are full of honest good humor telling mostly true stories of real lives full of real feelings.
On their own, each had written songs before, but when they started writing together a new voice was created and the music just flowed.
After a songwriting workshop with alt-country guru Jimmie Dale Gilmore, their writing process was solidified and the songs continue to get better and better.
"We balance each other perfectly as songwriting partners" says Jewels "I'm primarily a lyricist, I start with the emotional honesty of the story of the song while Johnny focuses on the hooks and driving guitar parts - we meet in the middle and that's where the magic happens" "Some of the first songs we wrote together like 'LAUREL CANYON', 'TRAVELIN" MOON', and '$91' are still favorites in our live show 5 years down the line. That's the test of a good song, it holds up over time" says Johnny. "You walk out of our show remembering what you've heard, the songs stick with you like a satisfying meal."

Since forming in 2004 CITY FRITTER has performed extensively for enthusiastic audiences at nearly every venue in LA. Some favorites: Canter's Kibitz Room, The House of Blues, Molly Malone's, The Viper Room, Cinema Bar, and Liquid Lounge Long Beach where they had a monthly residency for 2 years. They especially enjoy hugging the coast and playing shows in the breezy beach communities where their light hearted style is a perfect match for a sunny day. They play regularly at the Santa Monica and Topanga farmers markets and on the Santa Monica Promenade for crowds of up to 2,000 people.

In their own close knit community of Topanga Canyon, Jewels and Johnny have become local favorites, playing the Topanga Days Country Fair for the past 5 years and The Topanga Earth Day Festival for 2 years, sharing the stage with Ziggy Marley, Canned Heat, Billy Idol and Maria McKee amongst others. They play regularly at local watering holes Abuelita’s and Froggy’s and have performed for Topanga’s children at assemblies at Topanga Elementary School. Topanga's rich musical history and large talent pool provide constant inspiration and support for their music.

Outside of LA, CITY FRITTER plays regularly in and around Joshua Tree, California where they make their second home. Pappy & Harriets, The Palms, Joshua Tree Saloon, The Cosmic American Music Festival, The Chuckwalla Festival, Pioneer Days and The Water Canyon Cafe have all hosted The Fritters and their magical musical melange. They are proud to be a part of the eclectic music scene of that bohemian enclave as well.

Besides touring Northern and Southern California extensively, CITY FRITTER have also toured the east coast including tour stops in New York City, Philadelphia, the beautiful Berkshire mountains, and the legendary musical area around Woodstock in upstate New York. They have begun touring Utah in the winter, playing in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival for the past 2 years as part of the Access Film/Music showcase series and playing sold out shows in Salt Lake City and Cedar City.

Wherever they play, audiences respond immediately and positively to the unique sound and stage presence of the band. High energy vocals meet laid back California guitars - a curly haired dynamo gets the crowd moving by dancing up a storm while a handsome rock & roller takes his licks on a collection of beautiful instruments.
A CITY FRITTER show is a good time, a musical treat, and also something of a rock & roll history lesson since Jewels and Johnny enjoy sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of the origins of the music they play.

Johnny's lead guitar playing for the seminal LA cowpunk band, THE JONESES gave him a solid background in the rootsy style later to be recognized as alt-country. THE JONESES inspired and heavily influenced bands like Poison and Guns & Roses and opened for Johnny Thunders, Lords of the New Church and Spinal Tap, culminating in a major label record deal and the release of their charting album "Keeping Up With The Joneses".
He also toured and recorded with punk princess Lydia Lunch, and has played at every legendary temple of rock from the Troubadour to the Whiskey to the Roxy.

Jewels' background in theatre gave her the skills to immediately connect with an audience, singing and dancing professionally since childhood, she fronts the band with humor and confidence. Originally from New York City, Jewels' charismatic and confident stage presence germinated as a child on the stages of Broadway and was nurtured at The High School of Performing Arts near Times Square, getting her SAG card working on the original film version of "FAME". Buying sheet music for her auditions in the lobby of the Brill Building, she was always drawn to singing pop and rock songs rather than traditional show tunes. Later she appeared in film and on television, most notably in Sergio Leone's classic "Once Upon A Time in America" and studied improvisation at Second City in Chicago.

Although Johnny’s background was in rock & roll and Jewels’ was in theatre, soon after meeting and starting to jam, Jewels and Johnny discovered a mutual curiosity about the history of country music and a real appreciation for the form. Together they dug deep into traditional, mainstream, outlaw, and cosmic American music - approaching and interpreting it all with new eyes and a fresh perspective.The chemistry between them is apparent onstage and they’re having so much fun together, the good time is infectious!

Their partnership forms the core of CITY FRITTER often supported by some of the finest musicians playing in the Americana scene today including Christopher Hawley on guitar, David White on bass and mandolin, and Neal Daniels or Robert Dill on drums.

2010 saw the release of a 5 song EP "Big City Breakdown" - a return to Johnny's rock & roll roots featuring some grittier, less twangy material like the bluesy rocker "Build Me A Treehouse" and the jangly, Byrds-y "Look Like Now". Produced by Jim Watts (Gram Rabbit, Emmylou Harris, String Cheese Incident) "Big City Breakdown" has been getting plenty of airplay on traditional and internet radio as well as garnering some rave reviews.

Jewels and Johnny received their first big song placement in 2006 - the upbeat 2-stepper "DON'T YOU KNOW" can be heard in the 20th Century Fox feature film "FLICKA" starring Tim McGraw. They've had several other songs placed in independent films and spec commercials and are actively pursuing other licensing opportunities through Pump Audio, the largest, most prestigious online music library around. Their acceptance by Pump represents a major vote of confidence in their material by the music industry.

"Don't You Know" is included on their 2006 release "FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT" produced by Eric Corne at the late, great Mad Dog Studio. In addition, CITY FRITTER released 2 earlier EPs both of which sold out their initial runs completely:
the 5 track self titled debut "CITY FRITTER" and the 7 track all acoustic "JUST US". Though hard copies have now become collectors items, they are still available for download here on our website or iTunes.

Check the SHOWS page to find out when and where we're playing next,
and be sure to sign our e-mail list to stay in the Fritter loop. 

Thanks for listening and PEACE!

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