Biography
Jay Malinowski, who records under the moniker MALINOWSKI, was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1982 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia at nine months old, where he grew up and attended St. George's School[5]. He went on to Queen's University in Kingston, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2004[4][5]. His visual artwork has since been exhibited in galleries in Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto, with pieces also featured in Rolling Stone[4].
It was at Queen's that Malinowski met fellow students Eon Sinclair and Patrick Pengelly and, bonding over a shared love of reggae, formed Bedouin Soundclash, signing to Stomp Records by their third year[5]. The band's single "When the Night Feels My Song" became one of the most played songs in Canada during the summer of its release, and Bedouin Soundclash won the JUNO Award for New Group of the Year in 2006[5].
Alongside the band, Malinowski built a parallel solo and side-project career, releasing Bright Lights & Bruises in 2010, then forming Jay Malinowski & the Deadcoast for Indian Summer in 2012 and the concept double album Martel in 2014, the latter released alongside his own novel, Skulls & Bones, illustrated with his own pen and ink artwork[4][5]. His songwriting has also circulated beyond his own recordings, reportedly interpreted by artists including Sturgill Simpson, Diplo, and Dove Cameron, and he has collaborated with acts as different as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and hardcore bands[4].
In 2026, more than a decade after his last solo full-length, Malinowski returned under the streamlined billing MALINOWSKI with Under a Landslide of Stars, released April 3, 2026 on Dine Alone Records[4]. Recorded at Armoury Studios in Vancouver and mixed in Los Angeles by Davey Badiuk, the album pairs intimate songwriting with large-scale choral arrangements, featuring New Orleans gospel singers and a 150-person community choir recorded live in a Victoria, BC church[1]. Malinowski has described the record as an exploration of love and devotion pulled in two directions: the grounded, personal love he holds for his wife Steph and son Finn, and the destructive fanaticism of characters whose devotion to faith or ideology turns violent[1][2]. Songs like "Deeper Than Blue" and "Half-Moon Bay" carry that personal thread, serving as the record's emotional anchor[3].
References
- MALINOWSKI Announces New Album ‘Under A Landslide of Stars’ - V13.net — Album announcement covering Malinowski's quotes on the album's love/devotion themes, choir production, and track listing.
- Spill New Music: Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash Announces Solo LP 'Under A Landslide of Stars' - The Spill Magazine — Coverage of the album's themes and Malinowski's quotes about writing for his wife and son.
- Album Review: MALINOWSKI - Under A Landslide of Stars - Crucial Rhythm — Critical review describing 'Deeper Than Blue' and 'Half-Moon Bay' as the personal love songs anchoring the album.
- MALINOWSKI - Dine Alone Records artist page — Official label bio: education, prior solo work, novel Skulls & Bones, and artists who have covered his songs.
- Jay Malinowski - Wikipedia — Biographical details: birth, upbringing, education, and the formation and early success of Bedouin Soundclash.