Jocelyn and Chris are sibling blues-rock music artists from Upstate New York. Jocelyn sings lead vocals and plays piano, while Chris plays lead and rhythm guitar. The two write all of their music together as a brother-sister team.
Biography
Group history
Jocelyn and Chris grew up in Fort Plain, a small town in rural upstate New York. The two siblings both began music lessons in elementary school. Jocelyn started learning piano in fourth grade after receiving her first electric keyboard. Chris began guitar lessons just a few months later.
Jocelyn and Chris began performing publicly at local talent shows, festivals, and fairs. Their first public performance was at a local benefit talent show when Jocelyn was 12 and Chris was 11, where they performed a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". In middle school, they formed their own band "The Dependents.” They were performing under this moniker at the Fonda Fair in Fonda, NY, when they were approached by producer/manager David Bourgeois. The two subsequently signed a development deal with Bourgeois' music development company, Bridge Road Entertainment, in Albany, NY, in 2013.
In the following years, Jocelyn & Chris have released two studio EPs (Strangers in Fairyland and Still: A Holiday Collection), three full-length albums (Edges, Go, and The Fun in the Fight), and two live LPs (30,000 Miles and One Night in November) all under Bridge Road Entertainment. Their fourth full-length album Favorite Ghosts was released in June 2022.
Musical inspiration
Jocelyn & Chris grew up listening to a large variety of music, including blues, jazz, folk, rock, and pop. The duo frequently credit their parents' large CD collection with having had a huge impact on their current musical style. When they began to write their own original music together in middle school, this diverse range of musical influences led to the formation of a distinctive sound that has been described as "an affinity for retro grooves and classic rock moves with a unique, modern twist."
Education
In addition to their musical careers, both Jocelyn and Chris are alumni of Harvard University. Jocelyn graduated in May 2017, while Chris graduated a year later in May 2018.
Television
In a 2017 interview with Music Connection Magazine, Jocelyn revealed that she has been approached by casting agents from NBC's The Voice on two separate occasions. In both cases she declined to pursue the opportunity, opting instead to continue to write, record, and tour with her brother and their band. A December 2017 EdgeTV Network article about the group's music video for single "Red Stops Traffic" noted that Jocelyn had also turned down an opportunity to appear on the new FOX music competition show The Four.
On March 7, 2019, Jocelyn & Chris and their band performed their song "Outta My Head" live on NBC's Today Show.
Personal life
In high school, both siblings worked at Gore Mountain in North Creek, New York, Jocelyn as a ski instructor and Chris as a snowboard instructor.
Notable performances and recording guests
Along with their band, Jocelyn and Chris have performed at hundreds of music festivals and venues across the country, including the Sundance Film Festival, the CMJ Music Festival in NYC, Mountain Jam Festival in Woodstock, NY, South by Southwest in Austin, TX, and Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI, where they were voted Best Act on the Emerging Artists Stage. Additionally, the group has played music venues such as The Viper Room and Hotel Café in Hollywood, CA, 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, TN, Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, and The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. They have provided direct support for X Ambassadors, Foreigner (band), Eve 6, Grand Funk Railroad, Delta Rae, Gin Blossoms, Vertical Horizon, Rick Derringer, Orleans, Dennis DeYoung, Marc Cohn, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, and others.
Jocelyn and Chris have featured several notable guests on their recorded material, including Byron Isaacs of The Lumineers, G. Love, Danny Louis of Gov't Mule, Cory Wong of Vulfpeck, David Baron, and Beau Sasser of Kung Fu.
Jocelyn, Chris, and their band played the main stage at the 2018 Mountain Jam Music Festival in Hunter, NY.
On March 7, 2019, Jocelyn & Chris and their band appeared live on NBC's Today Show to perform their song "Outta My Head".
Release history
Debut album Edges
Edges was released in March 2016. Special guest G. Love played harmonica on track 6, "Hot." The album debuted on the Relix National Jambands Top 30 Chart at #17 in April 2016, remaining on the chart for six consecutive months and peaking in August 2016 at #14.