"Jason is the cornerstone of Secretly Canadian," the label says. "Without him there would be no us — plain and simple. His singular, stirring body of work is the foundation upon which all else has been constructed."
Originally based in Ohio, Molina first used the Songs: Ohia name on a mid-'90s single for like-minded Americana mystic Will Oldham's Drag City imprint, Palace Records. He went on to build up a prolific and impressive discography, releasing more than a dozen albums from 1997 through 2009, mostly via Secretly Canadian, under his various project names. His final release before his death was last year's Autumn Bird Songs, a 10-inch vinyl mini-album out on Graveface; scroll down to hear the stark, stirring "Heart My Heart."
Molina had been struggling for years with alcoholism. After releasing a collaborative album with Centro-matic and South San Gabriel frontman Will Johnson in 2009, Molina canceled their planned shows together. Then, in September 2011, Secretly Canadian revealed Molina had spent the last two years "in and out of rehab facilities and hospitals in England, Chicago, Indianapolis, and New Orleans." He had no health insurance, so the label asked friends and listeners to support him via a PayPal medical fund.
