Jon Mortimer

Until recently, Jon Mortimer was the lead singer and half of the song writing team behind Adelaide indie-pop mainstays ‘We Grow Up’. As part of this band, Jon won a triple J Unearthed competition in 2007 (supporting Missy Higgins on the Adelaide stop of her national tour) and received repeated Triple J airplay for a number of his songs.

‘We Grow Up’ also released two albums during their lifespan, including, most recently, the 2008, ‘Half A Cow records’ release ‘Night Kitchen’, which critics described as (amongst other things) “an astonishingly accomplished piece of work” and “an impressively creative calling card akin to Crowded House at their Together Alone peak”.

In the wake of the dissolution of We Grow Up in late 2010, Jon has now, (with the help of his friends), completed the recording of his first solo release; a 6-track EP of densely orchestrated pop songs, titled ‘OK to Disconnect’, which he plans to officially launch in late 2011.

Named in honour of the message received when (correctly) disconnecting an iPod from ITunes, ‘OK to Disconnect’ consolidates Jon’s reputation as a songwriter of substance, with each of the songs on his EP demonstrating his natural gift for melody, harmony, and song craft, as well as showcasing his strengths as a smart and emotionally poignant lyricist.

Jon is currently perfecting his live show, (An intimate affair with just Jon and a guitar) by playing a variety of shows around Adelaide. These stripped back performances have served to perfectly highlight Jon's strengths a songwriter and a performer, allowing the quality of his songs to speak for themselves, without the usual bells and whistles.

Recent gigs have included a memorable set at the Grace Emily, which was filmed by the people at M2E Entertainment and is currently being edited into a short film.

Praise for Night Kitchen (Jon’s last release as singer/songwriter of We Grow Up):

“Night Kitchen is so accomplished and well-crafted that it’s hard to believe it came from such a young group. God only knows what We Grow Up will be capable of in the future.” - Time Off Magazine

“‘Night Kitchen’ is an astonishingly accomplished piece of work, and one that suggests that the band are on equal footing with some of the best songwriters in the country right now” - DB Magazine

“It is rare to see such adventure so well executed on a debut, particularly when a band so obviously defies any tendency to-wards fad or fashion, rather following their own distinct muse.” - Alternative Media Group

“The songsmithing on this record seems to me like a divine promise. Sure, Night Kitchen is great – but such a shit hot debut has to beg the question: What’s next? Here’s hoping it’s a long life together" - Rave Magazine

“There are so many great tracks on Night Kitchen. Even the more left-field ones, such as ‘Fingernails’, are incredibly beautiful songs. The band aren’t afraid to try something different with the arrangements and the whole thing comes across like a pop merry-go-round.” – Half A Cow Records

“They always have a casual confidence in their ability to win you over with storytelling lyrics and the kind of warmth you get from having friends around a microphone in your living room” - Sydney Morning Herald

“Filled with atmospheric passages, fragile liturgies and surprising chord progressions, We Grow Up’s accomplished sound and production on Night Kitchen is an impressively creative calling card akin to Crowded House at their Together Alone peak.” – Rip It Up Magazine

“Classic chord progressions, thoughtful orchestration and smooth arrangements accompany intelligent and meaningful lyrics to make a great album” – Music SA Website

“Haven't been moved like this since first getting into Crowded House and Elliott Smith. No, I'm not crazy. This is some of the best pure indie pop released in Australia since the Go-Betweens”. – Grimnebulin’s Music Blog

Triple J ‘We Grow Up’ Track Reviews for Jon’s songs:

“So refreshing to hear some interesting, intelligent lyrics that don't sound self-indulgent” – Missy Higgins (for ‘Social Moth’)

“I love the sentiments, it taps into the confusion and craziness that abounds for a lot of us around the festive season and offers it up as a sweet, delectable pop treat. Great singing too” 4/5 – Caz Tran (for ‘Office Christmas Party’)

“An endearing, smart and simple pop song that sparkles!” 4/5 – Caz Tran (for ‘Wrote It All down In My Diary’)

“Pretty damn timeless kind of tune you've made here. You guys' songs have popped up here and there and I always go 'who's that?” 5/5 – Steph Hughes (for ‘Celia’)