Jayce Turley Reflects on “Misery” with the Premiere of His New Single

For someone of such a young age, Jayce Turley already sounds like an astute pro at his craft. You can’t help but have that reaction to his new single “Misery,” the latest offering from the Greenup Country, Kentucky native. At just 19 years old, Turley is beginning to make quite a name for himself with his mix of different sounds, styles, and moods.

“Misery” has some masterful classic rock-inspired guitar work that just oozes soul and spirit, reminiscent of a more bluesy song from that era. The song also has a bluegrass and country aspect that emphasizes Turley’s Southern roots. The track shows that he is as well musically situated as anyone at any age. He has been playing music since he was a young child, and that experience shines right through on “Misery.”

It’s quite an open-ended song, which was all by design, as Turley explains:

“‘Misery’ is a murder ballad that I aimed to leave up to listener interpretation. The song is about feeling a certain sense of pain that feels unmatched by any other person. It’s about finally letting someone in, and, just when you do, they find out a bit too much about you or your past and it starts to drive them away. The story ends with the narrator having to ‘get rid of’ (in the lightest sense possible) the person who has gotten too close. A song riddled with love, heartbreak, murder, and alcoholism.”

All perfect topics for the type of sound and feel that Turley is gunning for. He has been a focal point of his local music scene for years, already playing large shows by age 15. By 16, he had formed his backing band, Cardinal Point. The band features four collaborators whom Turley credits with helping him find his sound and his meaning as a songwriter. His debut EP, The Opening Act, in 2022, made an immediate impact. It has received close to two million streams since its release.

Now, Turley is gearing up to release his new EP, Broke Down, on May 24th via Rock Ridge Music. Featuring seven new songs, it’s a nice assembling of blues and honky tonk sounds that affirm his bluegrass past. At age six, his grandparents took him to a week-long bluegrass music camp and seminar. That early exposure helped shape his musical tastes at an early age. As he prepares for the release of Broke Down, Turley can feel things starting to come together. But considering how many years he’s put in, even at such a young age, it’s no big surprise why success would find this talented young man.

Jayce Turley “Misery” single artwork