New to us this week at JPR is the Washington, D.C.-based rock and soul outfit, Oh He Dead. Their new release, Vertigo, dropped last Friday. Oh He Dead is a five-piece band that was originally founded as a folk duo in 2015 by lead singer Cynthia “CJ” Johnson and guitarist/vocalist Alex Salser.
The band’s unusual name comes from one of Johnson’s songs, about discovering a boyfriend cheating and shooting him. When Salser later asked what became of the guy, Johnson replied, deadpan, “Oh, he dead.” The joke stuck, and a band name was born.
Today, Johnson and Salser are joined by drummer Adam Ashforth, keyboardist Piano Whitman and bassist Colin Sidley. As the lineup grew, so did the sound. The early folk influences gave way to a more groove-oriented mix of rock, jazz, R&B and soul.
Johnson’s voice is central to it all. It's been described as a combination of the folk-rock sound of Stevie Nicks and the R&B and soul of Sade. She embraces the comparisons, counting both artists as influences.
The band began getting wider attention in 2019 with its NPR Tiny Desk Contest submission, Lonely Sometimes, a track from its self-titled debut.
Vertigo was recorded in Nashville with producer Jimmy Mansfield. The band spent downtime during its 2024 tour writing songs, eventually accumulating more than 100. Ten made the album.
Those songs move comfortably between genres. Puts Me to Shame starts with a disco groove and builds toward a crunchy indie-rock guitar ending. Downtown has an ’80s pop feel, while More Than I Needed leans into funky soul. The closing track, Butterfly, begins as a piano ballad and gradually becomes an anthem.
Oh He Dead’s music lives in the cracks between genres, and Vertigo is at its best when those styles collide. We’ll be exploring the album in the coming weeks on Open Air, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on JPR’s Rhythm and News Service.
