Jonah Cohen is a heartfelt songwriter with snazzy vocals. He's got a fond appreciation for analyzing the past ala John Mayer, and doesn't sound far off from Mr. Mayer either. We caught up with him to learn a little more about the singer

Jonah Cohen is a self-described "nostalgiaholic", who admits that he dwells on the past. So it was only fitting to title his first album, Flashback.

The New York native grew up as a typical child, who daydreams about the time in his life when it was simple.

"I guess I focus on the past and especially my childhood because I don't want to forget those feelings of being carefree and living without super high expectations," says the singer. "I think we all had the Zen-thing going on much more as children and by recalling those experiences, we can help to introduce that enjoyment into our current lives."

He graduated from Brown University in May with a degree in Visual Arts, a passion for painting, and a completed course load in the pre-medical sciences. At Brown, Jonah began playing shows, traveling to different colleges on the weekends.

"I love the fact that even after a song is written, you can re-discover it over and over again every time it is played or performed," says Cohen. "Once you finish a sculpture, it is pretty static and much less dynamic - that stability has its own merits but I just love the feeling of the guitar too much right now to commit my heart to much else musically speaking that is."

His latest album, Flashback, was mixed at Boston's prestigious Q Division Studios (James Taylor, Guster, Howie Day) and mastered with Jonathan Wyner (Aerosmith, David Bowie, Phish) at M-Works. Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne referred him to Mike Denneen at Q Division and the rest was history.

And although he's used to getting the Josh Kelley comparison, Cohen developed his own style and stature. His strongest musical influences are James Taylor, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and Eric Clapton.

On his new album, he harmonizes in the track, "Just Thrilled." Cohen says the song puts him in a very peaceful place, and is about reconciliation and acceptance. The song starts out with "Just when you thought you were safe, tangled emotions from the past and present/Images of old somehow looking different".

"I know that it has a sarcastic title but it isn't really a bitter song. It's more like, 'You know, there's really not anything left to say – It's just time that I say goodbye to her apparition.' I hope that this is a song people can really vibe out to, cruising with the windows down and bobbing your head."

As far as his songwriting, Cohen says he tries to base the songs off of some initial powerful feeling. Once that foundation is there, the rest is pretty easy. Without it, the song never really takes off, he adds.

"Then it is all about editing and revising until the song says exactly what I think it should say both musically and lyrically," he says. "Songs are kind of like children. Really...stay with me on this one for a sec...you have a baby and you're greatest hope is that he or she can actualize his or her fullest potential as a human being. It is the same with a song except you don't have to change the diapers as much. For me, I think the music usually comes first because I was playing guitar long before I began writing songs. I only started writing a few years ago and think that I have learned a lot over the past few years through trial and error."

With an array of other delightful "soulful, honest and hopeful" acoustic rock gems, Cohen is eager to face the future as a musician.

"I think it is always hard to know what lies ahead when so much can change day to day. I guess at this point I really can't wait for people to hear Flashback and would love to be on the road as much as possible playing shows and getting the music out there," Cohen says. " I love meeting new people and rediscovering the songs night after night."

"On a different note," Cohen adds, "I think that if Michael J. Fox ever decided to recall Marty McFly and get his old high school band together which played Huey Lewis and the News covers, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to share that stage."

For more information visit: http://www.contactjonah.com.