Jonathan Bree

"Pre-Code Hollywood...[is] blessed by the New Zealand artist's incredible sense of world-buildng. New song 'Miss You' is a case in point." - CLASH

New Zealand’s Jonathan Bree today shared his new single “Miss You,” a sizzling dance floor heater featuring guitar and production from Nile Rodgers, as well as hypnotic vocals from Princess Chelsea. A groovy yet aching duet, “Miss You” is a tale of longing and separation that serves as the thematic centerpiece of Bree’s forthcoming fifth studio album, Pre-Code Hollywood, due out digitally on April 14th via his own Lil’ Chief Records. The song arrives with a fantastically creative self-directed video, which premiered today at CLASH. It’s the third installment in a series of videos presented on 'Radio Vision:' a fictional 'Top of the Pops'-style live TV show set in the late 1970s. Dick Driver makes a guest appearance as the host, mimicking his role in New Zealand's influential early music video program 'Radio With Pictures,' which aired from 1976 to 1989 and was a catalyst for MTV. Pre-Code Hollywood is now available for pre-order.

A dark disco album full of sad bangers, Pre-Code Hollywood is Bree’s most exciting and pop-forward work to date. While working on the album’s demos, he noticed a certain 1980’s aesthetic about them and sent a brave email to “The Hitmaker” Rodgers, who produced David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and “China Girl.” Whether through good fortune, fate, or sheer luck, the two ended up collaborating on “Miss You” as well as the album’s title track (which Rodgers also produced and played guitar on).

The album’s celestial opening notes transport listeners to a complex sonic world that celebrates classic pop of a bygone era, while experimenting with the avant-garde in a way that is distinctly modern. Pre-Code Hollywood exudes a nostalgic charm reminiscent of a John Hughes movie soundtrack. Across it, Bree explores complicated, often poignant relationship dynamics with winking wisdom, all set to the stirring sounds of driving synths, bendy strings, and orchestral electro.

Bree is well-known for his carefully crafted visual style; he and his band are never seen without their masks, an aesthetic on full display in the video for his breakthrough 2017 hit “You’re So Cool,” which has amassed over 28 million views on YouTube and was voted Time Out New York’s music video of that year. Gaining a cult following through extensive touring across the globe, this anonymous, masked persona also extends to his live shows, where he and his band play against a backdrop of cinematic projections created specifically for each song as two dancers perform otherworldly choreography.

See below for a current itinerary of Jonathan Bree tour dates in Europe this April and May.