On her latest single “arson games” (Aug 1), singer-songwriter Karen Jonas slips beneath the surface of a romantic encounter that feels less like a date and more like a supernova. With poetic precision and cinematic heat, Jonas crafts a fever dream of cosmic flirtation and chaotic intimacy — set somewhere between a dimly lit restaurant and the edge of the known universe.
“You light a match and toss it in a can of gasoline…” she sings, breathless and deliberate, drawing listeners into a world where desire is volatile, words dissolve, and the body becomes both fuel and flame. It’s sultry, strange, and unapologetically smart — a love song that’s also a chemical reaction.
Produced with whiskey-soaked, reverb-drenched minimalism, blending Americana roots with indie noir, “arson games” is unmistakably Jonas: raw, curious, and unflinching. The focus on lyric serves as a fitting bridge to the accompanying book to poetry, Poetic Evidence.
Poetic Evidence (Aug 1) is Jonas’s sophomore literary offering—a hard-hitting, romantic and fiercely funny collection of poetry chronicling modern love in all its beautiful dysfunction. From moonlit obsessions to feminine awakenings, swooning daydreams to hungover heartbreaks, she loves hard and risks harder. Poetic Evidence is for anyone who’s ever cried in the bathtub, chased a feeling, or flirted with fate.
Jonas brings her musical voice to the page in a style that Rolling Stone Germany called “a bit wicked and a bit dangerous.” Her poems are sexy, self-aware, and soaked in whiskey and stardust. Each verse is a confession and a celebration of what it means to feel deeply in a world that often asks us not to.
KIND WORDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
her skill in weaving words and phrases into her lyrics is one that few others can match - Country Music People, U.K.
Karen Jonas has experienced enough bitter disappointments to be able to sing reliably about fate's blows, broken dreams, and recurring demons - Rolling Stone Germany
imaginative and inspired work - Saving Country Music
collaborative chemistry, laser-sharp dynamics and intricate arrangements - Folk and Tumble, Ireland
the versatility of Karen Jonas is fascinating, enjoyable and successful! Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands