I met Jeremy Freeze in 2011 at a DIY festival in Chicago called “Bitchpork”. At the time we were both on the now defunct De Stijl records, known for its mainstay in heady reissues & archival material generally laced with LSD or some nondescript mind expanding component of the like. Hailing from Mississippi, Jeremy embodies a lifestyle and type of movement one would consider rare and hard to find in the hustling & bustling life of an inner city musician. Jeremy is cool & collected, complimented by an impressive work ethic but never showing sweat. He is sweet and polite, and reveals his encyclopedic knowledge of rock n’ roll in modest quantities through heartfelt conversation. I remember thinking that his music was great, and how nice it was to connect to someone so closely upon first meeting.

It wasn’t until Jan 1, 2017 that I was reconnected with Jeremy and his music. Moving from Memphis, Tennessee, Jeremy became my roommate for a year and a half. It was easy to bond with Jeremy. At the time we had both spent over a decade in the “weird-american underground” community and we had both sacrificed a big part of our lives for music. With his relocation came the unpacking of a fresh start, an enormous feat for any creature. Over the course of a year I witnessed Jeremy go through a vivid transformation. The way Jeremy took full agency over his life filled me with admiration. I admire Jeremy for his discipline, his mindfulness, and his ability to stay true to himself. I admire his ability to focus and execute creative ideas. He has a spirit that soars for the purity of life. The collection of songs in “Breaking The Skin” were written and recorded during his period of climbing that metaphorical mountain. The songs on this album recollect the mind of a person who has made great sacrifice, and has a deep understanding of life & music. I believe that Jeremy is the person in my life most deserving of this opportunity, and I am confident that the message other’s find in his music will breed good into the world. The music is also catchy as hell - long live R n R.

- Haley Fohr, Curator