Jono Dorr

Jono Dorr (born April 9, 1990) also known as Jonathan Dorr, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He has written and produced music for various artists including Hayley Kiyoko, The Neighbourhood, Kehlani, G-Eazy, French Montana, Gnash, Bibi Bourelly, Skizzy Mars, Devon Baldwin, Janine, Phem, and Marco Mckinnis.[1] He has released several singles as a solo artist, and his debut EP, The Unexamined Life Part 1, was released on August 12, 2020.[2]

Jono Dorr
Background information
Born	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar bass guitar
Years active	2009–present

Early life

Jono Dorr was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.[3] He grew up playing guitar and explored many genres of music including classic rock, blues, and funk.[2] Throughout his childhood, he played guitar and bass in various bands.[3] While attending the Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Alexander Hamilton High School, Dorr participated in an electronic music class in which he learned how to create and produce music digitally.[4] He then started producing and songwriting with various singers and rappers.[4] Graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Electronic Music, Dorr originally planned on becoming a lawyer to satisfy the wishes of his parents but instead opted for a career in music.[1]

Career

Motivated by his parents' ultimatum to either be successful in music or get a non-entertainment related job, Dorr started out by composing and recording cues for reality television shows.[5] This allowed him to support himself while also fine-tuning his production and songwriting skills.[1] Through mutual friends and word of mouth Dorr started co-writing and producing for such artists as Kehlani, G-Eazy, French Montana, Gnash, Bibi Bourelly, The Neighbourhood, Skizzy Mars, Devon Baldwin, Hayley Kiyoko, Janine, Phem, and Marco McKinnis.[6] In 2018, Dorr co-produced and co-wrote Hayley Kiyoko's breakout album, Expectations, which reached the Top 20 Album charts in the US, Canada, and Australia.[7] In 2019 Dorr became a solo artist releasing four original songs that featured his production and songwriting along with his vocals.

Unexamined Life Pt. I On August 12, 2020, Dorr released his first 6 track EP titled Unexamined Life Pt. 1.[8] The Ep's title was inspired by the famous Socrates quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”[9] Dorr told New Music Weekly that the album was about “choosing pain over ignorance, freedom over obedience, and purpose over greed.”[10] The release was met with positive reviews, being referred to as “an eclectic piece of work that is equal parts haunting, delicate, and devastating,” by popular music blog Imperfect Fifth.[2] The Ep was preceded by three singles. The first single, “High Tide” was released on February 20, 2020 along with a music video.[9] The second single, “Wanna Stay,” was released on April 23, 2020. “Quiet Footsteps,” the EP's third single was released on June 25, 2020 and is described as the essence of a pop ballad while carrying the spirit of the blues and a therapeutic purging of sad thoughts by Ray Sang at UK music blog, IndustryMe.[3] The fourth single, “Deep End,” was released after the EP on October 7, 2020 and featured inspiration from folk music with a sound compared to Bon Iver.[9]

Influences

Dorr's modern pop/R&B sound draws upon his varying musical inspirations.[1] He has specifically cited the raw, jarring quality of the blues along with the communal efforts of motown music as his biggest inspirations.[1] His combination of genres has created a sound that has been described as, “cerebral and grounded, a stunning contrast of darkness and light.” Dorr has been compared to such artists as The Weeknd and Bon Iver.[9]

Songwriting and production credits

Year	Artist	Album	Title	Co-writer or writer	Producer
2020	Hayley Kiyoko	I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit	"She"
2019	Devon Baldwin	Underwater	"Underwater"
			"Don't Pray For Me"
			"Someone New"
			"Used To Be"
2018	Marco McKinnis	Underground	"Silence"
	Janine	99	"Be By Myself"
			"Hold On"
			"Don't Love Me"
			"Never the Right Time"
			"Too Late"
			"Unstable"
			"Said It All"
			"Numb"
			"Believed In You"
			"Wrong Thing"
			"Get Through This Again"
	Hayley Kiyoko	Expectations	"Expectations (overture)"
			"Feelings"
			"What I Need" (featuring Kehlani)
			"Sleepover"
			"Mercy / Gatekeeper
			"Under the Blue / Take Me In"
			"Curious"
			"xx"
			"Wanna Be Missed"
			"He'll Never Love You
			"Molecules"
			"Let It Be"
2017	G-Eazy	Non-album single	"Just Friends" (featuring Phem)
2016	Bibi Bourelly	Free The Real (Pt. #2)	"Untitled"
	Hayley Kiyoko	Citrine EP	"Gravel to Tempo"
			"Ease My Mind"
			"Pretty Girl"
			"Palace"
	Gnash	us	"Get Well Soon" (featuring Phem)
	Skizzy Mars	Alone	"comb"
2015	Gnash	me	"Tell Me It's Okay"
	Devon Baldwin	Lungs EP	"Closer"
	The Neighbourhood	Wiped Out!	"Prey"
			"Cry Baby"
			"Wiped Out"
			"The Beach"
			"Baby Came Home 2/ Valentines"
			"Greetings From Califournia"
			"Ferrari"
			"Single"
			"R.I.P. 2 My Youth"
2014	Devon Baldwin	Non-album single	"Blame"
	The Neighbourhood	#000000 & #FFFFFF	"#icanteven" (featuring French Montana)
	Devon Baldwin	Non-album single	"Refuse"

References

1. "Songwriter Profile: Jono Dorr". Music Connection Magazine. August 27, 2020.
2. "jono dorr, the unexamined life part 1". August 12, 2020.
3. "Jono Dorr Walks Out Into The spotlight With "Quiet Footsteps"". June 25, 2020.
4. "An Interview With Singer-Songwriter JONO DORR On His New Solo Track 'Quiet Footsteps,' Writing and Producing For Others and What's Next! | All Access Music".
5. Team, Unheard Gems (June 19, 2020). ""Quiet Footsteps" - Jono Dorr | Review". Unheard Gems.
6. "Jono Dorr's New Single "Deep End" Channels Raw Emotion". Top40-Charts.com.
7. "Songwriter/Producer for Kehlani and Hayley Kiyoko, Jono Dorr Debuts New Single". Divine Magazine. July 2, 2020.
8. "JONO DORR: INTERVIEW". Unclear Magazine.
9. "Ears Wide Open: Jono Dorr". October 12, 2020.
10. Loggins, Paul (August 13, 2020). "Jono Dorr Releases Inspiring EP, The Unexamined Life Part 1". New Music Weekly.