Sitting at a red light, I look over at my gorgeous boyfriend, his dark, curly hair bouncing as he quietly but assuredly sings my favorite song. “It’s like rain on a beautiful day, all the clouds go away, and we’re just singin’ and playin’ and alright. Then you‘ll know no matter where the wind blows us, we‘ve always got each other. And we‘re dancing’ this dance on time.” His lips fit the words perfectly, but I realize with my hands on the steering wheel, singing along too, mine do the same thing. Both of us share the same love for the record spinning in my dashboard c.d. player. We both realize the genius of the voices, the music, the beat. We both know.

They were the air. Each song like a reassuring breath every time you listened. This band, out of good old Johnson County, Kansas, has been a complete hero, my inspiration musically. They have the ability to make me understand what their always confusing lyrics mean. They have the power to make me dance inside and out, sing as loud as possible. I learned a little about myself thanks to JoCo.

As a teenager, life is super hard, and always confusing. No one can get around that. It seems that each of us have to relate to something even to get through to the next day sometimes. Some people write poems, others sing or play guitar. Some people watch movies, some play video games. Other people just sit and think, or call a friend. For me, music is my release. A good song can set me free, can help me out of my anger or hurt. The boys of Josephine Collective know how to make me smile.

The band has put out three records, Every Scene In Vibrant Green, Summer Demos 2006, and We Are The Air (my favorite of the three). In some ingenious way, the group has managed to link all their tracks together. Using words, phrases, and even matching beats and notes, they keep the “Josephine” beautifully tied together. This alternative band has captured my attention, and that of many others I know, since the first track on the beginning record, to the last song recorded, Can’t Sleep.

Josephine is one of my top three favorite bands of all time. Their sound is so very unique. Sometimes, they may seem crazy, over the edge, but these musicians know what they’re doing. In one song, they can cry, laugh, have fun, and be mad at the same time. They express so many things just by singing and playing. They are creative and entertaining. Their lyrics are illustrative. The music went perfectly with what they tried to convey. Again I will say, geniuses.

But, depressingly, as 2009 ends, Josephine Collective has decided to take the same route. Their travel from The Josephine Love Letters, to Josephine Collective, to just Josephine, and back to JoCo is now dwindling to no name at all. The guys will all be working on different things, and unfortunately for us fans, have no intentions to get back together any time soon.

My heart broke in two when I heard the news. Josephine, my darling, don’t leave me love. You are my inspiration, my motivation. Your songs will forever ring through our heads, always playing on. No matter where the wind blows you, you’ll always have us, the fans.