​“I came of age at the height of the CD’s popularity, and my favorite artists were the ones that put lots of thought into the sequencing of their records. Even if the songs themselves didn’t combine into a single story, the ebb and flow of a track list is something that I miss in the era of algorithmic-derived playlists. What I’m calling the ‘serial album’ is my way of trying to bring that idea into the streaming era.”

These words from Jonathan Fuller, singer, pianist, and songwriter, encapsulate the ethos behind the release of his album When Did You Get So Damn Scared, to be released between September 1 and November 17, 2023. “The idea behind this is that every Friday between those dates, I’ll be releasing a track from the album — but in the track list’s order. In between, I’ll be releasing TikTok videos of Live from My Living Room performances of the songs, as well as short videos explaining the songs’ geneses. I figure if Charles Dickens was down to release his novels a chapter at a time, why not try the same with music?”

The 12 songs that comprise the album run the gamut from the personal (“Stepping Stone,” which chronicles an early adolescent same-sex crush and the dizzying heights and overwhelming lows it entailed) to the political (“Burn It Down,” a searing indictment of the rise of authoritarian strongmen around the world over the past decade), and each song is buoyed by the musical contributions of Dan Kleederman (guitar, additional production), Derek Swink (drums) and Dillon Garrett (bass). Though the album was recorded fully virtually, with each musician sending in their parts from their various homes, the result is still a warm, live sound.

Lyrically, these songs pull no punches.  “Do you remember when we roomed together that one summer/it was the only perk of being in the closet in 2003” (Stepping Stone) and “Keep the fundies entertained while you get another NDA signed for your mistress’s abortion” (Burn It Down) are just two lines that pushed Jonathan out of his lyrical comfort zone. “To be honest, the nice Midwestern boy in me was a little nervous getting these songs ready to be put out into the world, but that’s a sign that they’re songs worth hearing.”

Those who have been following Jonathan’s career over the past decade may have noticed a change in name for this album release. “When I was a kid, I absolutely hated when people shortened my name. I was Jonathan, and that was that. Fast forward to an early-adolescence move to another state and I decided to finally just let people do it so I could make friends in a new place — though I insisted on spelling it ‘Jon’ to wrest some sort of control from the situation. Taking back my whole name seemed to be an important thing for these songs, since they’re so close to the core of who I am.”

Jonathan’s previous two albums, The Art of Denial and Skipping Away from Dissonance (both released under Jon Fuller), received airplay on independent and college radio stations and were both featured on WVIA-FM’s end-of-year Best Of lists. Jonathan also was a 2020 Just Plain Folks first prize winner in the “Best Modern Rock Song” category for the song “Gathering Tide,” and his music was licensed for promotional materials for the Broadway show Peter and the Starcatcher.