North Philadelphia native, the life of Jon Bolds seemed very similar to everyone else in Philly. "It was rough growing up not being able to understand why what was going on, went on; yet I was forced to roll with it. I just wanted to understand." - Jon Bolds. Poverty, violence, family trauma, sports, and church are hood staples Jon indulged in every avenue. Jon hung out with mixed crowds- whatever he could do to have fun and express himself, he did it. Some ways were destructive, while others could make his mother proud, duality was apparent. Easily impressionable at times, it felt like what Jon did was to gain acceptance of others while denying what he thought of himself. Through discoveries like this, identity issues came about at a very young age. "I ain’t from the Motherland, I’m from some other land, dying to hear some original music, but I got so used to these cover bands…" Jon Bolds- AOW. "The feeling of having all these thoughts reach somebody who could possibly relate was the most nerve racking/exciting feeling i could've had" -Jon Bolds. Although music and acting became ways of proclaiming faith, culture, thoughts and his lifestyle; music shed's light on his many flaws "My faith wasn't strong but I had to be a leader. I still dealt with knowing that people like me struggled, and I had no way of figuring out how to stop it, stop my self-destructive tendencies, and stop my lack of faithfulness"-Jon Bolds. In the latest album "AFTERDARK", Jon dives into all these topics because this is something he deals with even now. Before Jon looked at things as black and white, however life taught him that the world is much more complex than that, he himself is much more complex than that. "I used to view things so dogmatically, I think that's where the downfall came. The more I opened myself up to perspective, the clearer my beliefs were...I know THE truth and I can't deny that. I also know that outside of that, many things are more opinion than fact; how someone views me, what success is, whether I am who I ought to be- naw, I am Jon Bolds. I love my God though I fall, I love my skin, though it's tough and my people, though we fall. I love that people, (like me) fall, where i came from is not a crutch but a gift. I have ample chances for redemption."- Jon Bolds. Ultimately “AfterDark" will be that and then some. New discoveries, experiences, thoughts, outlooks, and much more Jon Bolds.
