Sub Rosa Sessions: JP Payton and Janet Batch & J. Schnitt

Let the 2025 season begin! January Sub Rosa Sessions: Revival #8 will feature CNY's seasoned songwriters, JP Payton and Janet Batch, & J. Schnitt.

JP Payton: Carpenter, Musician, Lover of food, friends and family, cats and G runs. JP likes to make records. Having recently relocated to the Fingerlakes region, from Bloomington, IN, JP sings in a plaintive poetic style, and evokes an old world America full of hardships and hope. 

JP Payton, originally from Indiana, and an old timey style songwriter who’s now taken up residence in the culturally rich town of Ithaca, New York, ( often playing as a duo called Freight),  JP has a new album MTN Blue. The songs on this album are thoughtful acoustic pieces of Midwestern Americana fare. This album was produced and mixed by JP; engineered by Will Russell at Electric Wilburland Ithaca, NY and also by RP Payton at Switchyard South in Bloomington, Indiana. It was mastered at Midline Studios in Ithaca, NY. 

“Thank You So” taps into the “just normal” imagery that often characterizes great songwriting: think John Prine and his everyday people.  JP sings of “sure s I’m here in this old familiar chair / old familiar songs hanging in the air / same four walls and a new coat of paint / I’ll have you know that the place looks great.”

“Little Late” is a bit of a mournful pleading as things slide away at what seems to be the relationship’s end and the acoustic guitar playing is raw and authentic. 

“Starting Over Again” adds a touch of pedal steel, bass and drums to this thoughtful catchy number where JP’s vocals strike a chord that sounds like Richard Buckner and Jay Farrar. This song is quite a delight and achieves that Americana sweet spot.   

“Wheels Falling Off” tells the plaintive tale we can all understand: “wheels falling off, I can’t get a tow, just trying to make it home.”  On “Somehow” JP, on acoustic guitar, is joined by Liam Lawson on nylon string guitar and Loveday Greene on rich vibrant vocal harmonies:  “baby can you lift me up? I’ve been too far down on love, I’ve been out of shape and broke down, somehow.” “6th of Jan” takes on the chilling day that we all watched a mob “sh-ttin in the halls of shared reality.  If I had not seen, then I would not have believed…it was right there on the news… climbing through windows, shattering glass.”  

JP Payton’s songs describe adversity, longing and, ultimately, wishes for a better future in arrangements that solidly add to the Americana foundation. He should step up and take his place with pride within the walls that Son Volt built.

Janet Batch: One part Stevie Nicks, two parts Johnny Cash, singer-songwriter Janet Batch hails from New York’s Finger Lakes region, writing and recording songs inspired by working-class life.  Some anthemic, some heartbreaking, many songs harken back to the hardscrabble stories of her youth in the Rust Belt. She fronts a 4-piece band whose sound is reminiscent of the seventies and eighties country radio she was raised on.  Her lyrics point to an affinity for poetry and prose and are a sweet surprise to those lucky enough to catch them; her style has been described as “country with an art degree”.

Janet welcomed her second album, You Be The Wolf, in the fall of 2021. A slow and simmering project, it captures everything from classic country waltzes to boot stomping two-steps, tempering true stories with bits of embellishment.

Favorites include “Radio”, a spaghetti western style tune that laments the struggles of loving an artist, “If I Had A Nickel”, a waltz about getting hit on at the bar, and “Waiting On Horses”, an anthem describing a horse-buying scheme.

Drawing from an early life growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York, Janet weaves some larger-than-life tales on the record. “The voice in my head sometimes sounds like an old man’s. Words I have never once uttered in real life show up in my lyrics.  And some of the stories in these songs are just stories I told myself as a kid. No one told me otherwise.”

Janet’s band is a one-of-a-kind blend of talented, collaborative musicians, each with different musical influences. Sid Green (Jayne County and The Electric Chairs, The Splendors) lends a classic country bent to lead guitar. Mike Brando (Harry Nichols Band) and Chris Ploss (River Diver, Laila Belle, Lady D and The Shadow Spirits) hold down the rhythm section on bass and percussion, respectively. 

Janet’s first album, A Good Woman is Hard to Find,was an instant regional favorite.  Backed by a full band and featuring three-part harmonies, the 2017 release is a record of story songs and train beats.  An official music video was later released to accompany the album for fan favorite track, “Nobody Loves Me”.  Janet also earned the moniker “The Voice of the Hills” in upstate country circles following the release of Good Woman.

Janet has performed on Bound for Glory, at The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, Downtown Ithaca’s Summer Concert Series, and The Ithaca Festival. She has also had the pleasure of opening for Lori McKenna, Marty Stuart and Sean Rowe.

J. Schnitt: J.Schnitt is a folk singer, singer-songwriter, "one-man band", protest
singer, and storyteller from the small Central NY city of Utica.
Traveling the murky waters of the Independent music world going on 20
years now. DIY in the truest sense. Bringing his songs to whomever,
wherever, and whenever he can. Over the course of 23 albums, 700-ish
songs written, and thousands of shows, he has established himself as one
of folk musics best kept secrets.

He has won a variety of songwriting awards and praises including
recognition from the International Songwriting Contest for "excellence
in songwriting", 3 time Sammy Award nominee, Unity Hall Songwriting
Contest Grand Prize, among a bunch of others. He has participated in the
Syracuse Acoustic Guitar Project 2022, been a featured performer at many
songwriting showcases, and has performed on prestigious stages
throughout the Northeast as well as overseas, including Freshgrass
Festival (Mass MOCA), Club Passim (Boston), Babeville (Buffalo), Mercury
Lounge (NYC), Nelson Odeon (Cazenovia), Westcott Theater (Syracuse),
Oswego Music Hall, Clown and Bard (Prague), Shaffer Theater (Utica) , to
name a few. He has shared the stage with esteemed artists such as Martin
Sexton, Yonder Mt String Band, Jackie Greene, Felice Bros., Dan Bern,
Ghost of Paul Revere, Peter Mulvey, among many others.

Known for his insightful lyrics and sharp commentary, ranging in topics
from current events and political issues, to engaging storytelling, to
the deeply personal, he has established himself as a "songwriters
songwriter." Often referred to as “The Bob Dylan of Central New York”
(the Scene), both for his prolific nature and his lyrical prowess.  As
always, J. is currently at work on a host of different albums, scheduled
to be released, well, whenever they're done.

J. Schnitt is also currently singer/guitarist for the alt/prog band
BikeLane. He is also a founding member of legendary folk-rock band The
Reuben James and experimental prog band The Archipelagos. He has also
played lead guitar for garage punk rockers The Real Burnouts and upright
bass with folk band Auld Lang Syne.

Sub Rosa, literally means "Under The Rose" and the rose historically used to symbolize secrecy, is a fitting name for these semi-private sessions which limit to 90 guests to attend. Sub Rosa Sessions uphold a truly unique, high-end listening experience since it's beginnings in 2012, when it was founded and hosted by singer-songwriter Amanda Rogers for 4 years at Subcat Studios.

The revival of the monthly series now commences at her new space in Downtown Syracuse, Pink Rock Culture Co-op, where this listening room concert is an immersive experience for the attendees and performers to connect and share in the live concert - hearing music the way the artist intended. Sub Rosa let's the listeners in on the secret of why music moves our spirit to sing, dance, cry, melt, and soar.

Pink Rock Culture Co-op is an all-ages creative community gathering space for artists and the community to connect, expand, experiment, create, collaborate, stretch, learn, and champion each other! A 1350 Square Foot downtown Flex-space for any and all events! Founded and Curated by Amanda Rogers. email her for more information, space usage, and collaborations.

pinkrockcoop@gmail.com