Jeff Hartwig’s musical project Battleflagg, was formed with a collective of like-minded musicians and visual artists during the pandemic “to combat an age of creeping cynicism”.  Hartwig’s  first pro gig was opening for the Ramones as the lead singer of King Flux, made up of former members of punk rock innovators the Plasmatics, a show for which he was castigated by Johnny Ramone for jumping on Johnny’s stage box during the opening set. After a year of powering through the downtown scene at CBGBs and other Lower East Side clubs, King Flux dissolved — Richie Stotts, the band’s founder, went on to grad school — and Hartwig found himself opening as a solo act for bands on the Blues/Americana circuit.  

Hartwig moved to San Francisco in the late 90s, where he immediately fell into a thriving Indie/Americana/Punk scene. Fronting an Americana(ish) band called the Dangs, he established a  following playing Third Eye Blind, Cake and more, the band also shared stages with many Americana/Indie acts while on tour, including Dave Alvin, The Connells, and Dash Rip Rock.  

Over the next decade, Hartwig pursued a career in corporate law, all the while continuing to write songs and playing the occasional live show. In 2019, with numerous demos in hand and a new desire to be a part of the democratization of music distribution, Hartwig contacted Brit-Award winning producer, Chris Potter (Richard Ashcroft, Rolling Stones), who agreed to produce Battleflagg’s first EP, The Blood Meridians, which was released by Hartwig’s own label, Resolute Juke, in November 2022.  The Blood Meridians was recorded in London and the south of England and would feature talent from both the UK and US, including the guitar work of Rob Marshall (Humanist) and Steve Wyremann (Richard Ashcroft), the drumming of Steve Sidelnyk (Seal), and the vocals of Miko Marks. 

 After the release of The Blood Meridians, Hartwig again set the production process in motion. Upon hearing Sharon Van Etten’s hit single, “Mistakes”, and loving the sonic vibe, he reached out to its producer, Daniel Knowles (SVE, Cigarettes After Sex), to see if Mr. Knowles would have interest in producing his upcoming EP.  Knowles listened to the demos and readily agreed to be a part of the project.  After almost 18 months of recording and mixing, the new EP, Solastalgia, is ready for its release on January 7, 2025 (with its first single Ghosts to be released December 4, 2024).  Co-produced by Knowles and Battleflagg, the breadth of musical collaborators on Solastalgia even exceeds that of The Blood Meridians and includes members of The War on Drugs, Ethel Cain, Japanese Breakfast.  

When asked what he hopes people would take away from listening to his new music, Hartwig says “When listening to these songs, I want the listener to understand, and feel the power of, the simple snapshots described within, and how such moments are common to many. Hopefully, in understanding that the experiences in the songs are common to all of us, particularly in the face of massive change, the listener will find a deeper connection to the people and places around them.”