Jona Byron's beautiful debut album ‘Extinct Hearts' is a seminal piece of work. The tracks cover the last few years of Jona's musical and human journey. 'Hearts' oozes longevity and a deep emotional core, while also acting as a musical journal.

The single ‘Beautiful Bird' conjures delicate moments of the late Elliot Smith and paints a story of mental illness and a lovers fading hope while resting on well-crafted melodies and stunning vocals. The angsty title opener ‘Extinct Hearts' rides on a hypnotic pulse of bass, organ and dense guitars, and acts as a warning, as Byron reflects on a world gone mad. ‘Glass Jaws' opens with subtle acoustics and banjo yet blooms into a powerful acoustic tour de force, with it's catchy melody, strong bass (played by Edmondo Ammendola of Augie March) and evocative imagery. The devastating ‘Arm Yourself' rolls like a medieval Leonard Cohen song complete with haunting cello work by Francesca Mountfort, while the cover of the classic Bob Dylan song ‘The Times They Are A Changing' is a beautiful departure from the original and works more as a contemporary apocalyptic anti-war song.

The album was produced by Jona himself in various houses, studios and locations across Melbourne, with producer Myles Mumford (Lamplight, Kate Vigo) stepping in for some minimal production at Atlantis Sound. 'Extinct Hearts' is a giant leap for an artist who has been behind the curtain for much too long.

Extinct Hearts was released Nov 17, 2009 through Popboomerang Records / MGM Distribution.

Enjoy the new digital bonus edition now, including bonus and rare tracks such as 'Visions' and 'The Harder Ships of The World' - 26/11/10