Can you believe it’s already been a year since the last time folks got around and submitted covers to the annual AJJ cover album? I’d wager that no one knew that by the time volume three rolled around, the world would be a much different place, with a global pandemic having robbed us of any sense of normalcy and a vast majority of lives shows, while anxieties have been running higher than ever before.

For an AJJ fan, 2020 has been an entirely different experience than for those of other bands. Sure, many of us would’ve loved to have used those tickets we bought to see the band playing live, and we would have loved to come together and sing the band’s newest songs while in the company of other like-minded individuals. Sadly, the world has had other plans. Instead, we’ve been treated to the extensive pleasure of Sean Bonnette playing almost daily livestreams from his home, ensuring that fans have content to remain engaged during these difficult times, and using his platform to become a voice for change. I’m sure that all musicians and fans out there will agree with me when I say that Sean Bonnette is an example of who we should strive to be.

As anyone who has followed these compilations knows, the goal here is to get people to share their love of a band who has helped us to get through the tough times, while soundtracking the best. From a personal point of view, I’ve been a dedicated follower of the group for well over a decade, and never has the band been more relevant, powerful, and above all, comforting than they are now. It’s with this in mind that I once again put the call out for fans to pay tribute to Arizona’s AJJ.

The result was – as usual – amazing. A huge amount of fans pledged their talents to this project, turning this edition of the comp into its biggest yet. This year, I decided to do things a tiny bit differently. While previous compilations would see anyone who wanted to cover a song that’s already been taken forced to choose another, this year, people have been allowed to submit as many songs as they want, regardless of if anyone had previously covered the track already. As a result, this compilation features an impressive 22 tracks, with an additional 18 in the download-only section (including a full album performance of ‘The Bible 2’ by the amazing Merry Malady!) Here’s hoping that next year we might be able to double, if not triple that number! (I doubt it, but hey, it never hurts to be optimistic!)

I need to extend a shout out to careincaptivity and Daniel Simone who both appear for the third time in a row, while both Merry Malady and Sam Blatchford appear for a second time. Of course, a massive thanks goes out to everyone who appears for the first time as well. There have been some absolutely amazing performances this year, and you should all be proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I can’t wait to hopefully see you on the fourth volume as well!

Meanwhile, I also have to give an extra special thanks to Reddit user OpalArmor who not only provided us with the stunning opening track, but also donated the amazing artwork to this release. Thanks so much for your help in turning this into a stellar release!

As is tradition, this compilation is completely free for you to download; no charge at all. However, if you have the means, it would be amazing if you could spare a dollar or two, with proceeds being donated to the Know Your Rights Camp Covid-19 Relief Fund. While previous years had donations going to Teen Lifeline (at Sean’s request), this year has seen the focus shifted a little. I reached out to Sean in regards which charity he would prefer donations to be sent to this time around, and we'll be sending funds to the Louisville Community Bail Fund. If you'd like more info, check it out here: afgj.salsalabs.org/louisvillebailfund/index.html.

If you’ve read this far, I thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy this compilation as much as we all enjoyed making it. Give it a listen above, and I hope to see you next year for volume four!

Thank you, and enjoy the tunes!

LTRC04