Many love music, but few take the chance to create it. Godwin English teacher Jason Golos did just that when his parents first introduced him to music early on, mainly Simon & Garfunkel and other folk pop. Like all good New York kids, Golos also consumed a steady sonic diet of Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, but that grew into a love for The Who and The Beatles, which transitioned into punk, alt, and college rock. All of which would eventually inspire the creation of “The Chilblains,” a remote band, or as Golos calls it, a music creation collective, at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
The music creation collective was formed when Golos reconnected with an old college friend of his, Tim Ward, during the pandemic. “He had a bunch of instrumental demos that needed words. He had no interest in writing lyrics, so I started adding words to the demos. Eventually, I just wrote a ton of lyrics to which he would set the music,” said Golos.
At first, it was just Golos and Ward making music, but soon, their college friend Bill Kenney joined as a producer and later shared some backup vocals for the group. “He gives us a lot of valuable guidance as far as song structure and detail,” said Golos.
The unique name that stuck with the group was inspired by doctors during the pandemic. “Doctors were seeing a discoloration in some people’s feet due to Covid. They compared it to chilblains, which is something like frostbite. We’d never heard the word but thought it would be a cool band name—even if the meaning is kind of unpleasant,” said Golos.
Most of the work they do is done online. “Almost all the work is done remotely: we live in different states. We use a communication platform called Chanty to discuss the songs endlessly and post the demos as they develop; we’ve only worked in the same room a couple of times,” said Golos.
In the music creation collective, Golos mostly writes the lyrics on top of a couple of lead and background vocals. At the same time, Ward plays all of the guitar and bass, does most of the vocals, and also composes all of the music. Due to the lack of a drummer in the band because of difficulty recording drums remotely, they utilize technology to computer-generate them.
So far, they have released 16 EPs and singles in total and two albums. They don’t have many listeners, but that doesn’t stop them from making music because of the enjoyment it brings them. “It isn’t close to perfect, which we prefer anyway, but it is thoughtful and often rocks. We mostly do this for fun and our own satisfaction,” said Golos.
The work they make is inspired by their shared interests in mid-80s to early-90s alternative music. Golos said, “We are inspired by bands such as the Replacements, REM, and the Pixies. Our songs also incorporate alt-country, power pop, and classic rock.”
Golos not only loves making music not just because it is fun, but also because it lets him be creative. “As a writer, it is a great creative outlet that keeps me writing. To hear those words emerge as a song is pretty exciting. As a lifetime appreciator, it is very cool to be creating,” said Golos.
Music has also become an escape throughout his life. “I mean that while I sometimes listen to music for background company, I also listen to music as a thing to do; I engage in it like I would if I were playing a sport or reading a book. And it is as endless as the oceans,” said Golos.
With his passion for music, Golos expresses the need to produce when talent is in your hands. Golos said, “Create something. It’s quite a thing: where there was nothing there is now something. And you made that happen. It’s sort of a minor miracle.”
