Interview: Jordie Lane Talks About His Musical Influences and What’s On Tap for 2014

Nashville – Jordie Lane looks a bit like Gram Parsons, writes songs a bit like Townes Van Zandt, and sounds a bit like Bob Dylan circa Nashville Skyline. To throw a wrench in that mix of American musical wonder, Jordie Lane is an Aussie. Although born and raised in Melbourne, Jordie took a liking to American folk music at an early age. When he was old enough to take off on his own, he commenced his troubadour lifestyle by visiting Joshua Tree in California where he experienced a sort of creative, spiritual jolt. Since his Lover’s Ride EP in 2009, he’s been writing Americana/folk songs about everything from lust (“I Could Die Looking at You”) to Hollywood (“Hollywood’s Got a Hold”).

Despite a rigorous tour schedule playing across Australia, Canada, and the U.S., he took the time to tell us a bit about how he became to be an American folk singer who still calls Melbourne home.

Caroline McDonald: You’ve said before that Gram Parsons and Bob Dylan are a big influence on your music. Personally, I hear Townes Van Zandt as well as some really old Appalachian folk singers (“On the Net Till Morn”). How were you introduced to these American folk singers who were active a generation or more before you were born? Who else has inspired your music, musician or otherwise?

Jordie Lane: It’s true that both Gram and Bob have been two of my biggest influences. I heard Dylan for the first time when I was 13, and it was the first time I was able to really take in lyrics on their own merit. Before that, I heard lyrics and music all rolled into one thing. Gram got me at a time when I first started getting into country music. It was the vulnerability in his voice that got me where other singers didn’t.

I must have been about twenty when this guy comes up to me after a gig and says, “You a big Townes’ fan?” I said, ”I’ve never heard of him.” And he said, “Well you must go find him now because you have some weird connection goin’ on”.

It was my best buddies who introduced me to American folk music around the age of twelve when we formed our first band. Their parents had so many great records, unlike mine, who I remember had about three LP’s in their own collection.

My biggest inspiration though is my Mum. She is a brilliant storyteller and stand-up comedian who I watched and learned from in a subconscious way from an early age.

CM: With all of these American musical influences in your life, how did growing up in Australia affect your music?

JL: Well musically I was almost exclusively listening to stuff from America and also Canada and the UK. I would cop it from people like my grandpa for not sounding overtly Aussie in my music. So sometimes I experienced a feeling of disconnect or not feeling like I belonged in my own country. But I was a dreamer, wishing to be in some romantic time from long ago, or working on the land out in the desert.

What I didn’t know at the time, is that as a writer and singer who was so sensitive to everything around me, I was constantly weaving the stories of the people around me and my hometown in Melbourne. When I started to tour around my country, I saw our raw land and began collecting stories from all different walks of life.

CM: Are you officially living in America now? Where?

JL: Yes indeed. In Eagle Rock, California.

CM: What’s your favorite thing about living in America? What do you miss most about Australia?

JL: Well maybe this is in direct opposition to my profession as a touring and recording artist, but I love how cheap it is to buy and see music in America compared to Australia.

I also love the ‘mantra’ of freedom of choice in restaurants. But why do you give us so much choice? I go crazy! Say, if you are getting breakfast in Australia there’s no choice of bread, or side, or exactly how you want the eggs. (Jordie laughs.)

CM: Is it correct that you originally recorded your album Blood Thinner on a cassette tape? Why did you make that choice?

It was less of a choice and more of a, “Well, I’m in the middle of the desert, I missed my flight back to Australia, I broke up with my girlfriend, I have no money, but all these songs are coming out. How do I record these now?”

I called this number my ex had given me of an engineer in L.A., and he said, “Sure I got a Tascam Four-Track you can borrow.” And it all just organically evolved from there without too much thinking ahead. The limitations and lack of choice in a four-track tape machine made me be as creative as possible within a small field, and that was perfect for my brain. It came out so surprisingly well that I decided to release it.

CM: You’ve said that you don’t want to “get stuck” in one area of music. Do you foresee yourself dipping into other genres?

JL: Most definitely. I’ve been doing a lot of co-writing with more dance music sensibilities. And I’ve had this piano-based carnival/psychedelic stuff building up in my head for a long time too. As many songwriters would agree, I let the song dictate which genre or style direction it goes.

CM: You’ve just recently released Live at the Wheaty. Do you think you’ll put out a studio album again soon? What are your plans for the next year?

JL: The live album was a stroke of luck in that the sound person at the gig recorded it as a spur of the moment decision. It sounded great, and the audience created one of the most random and exciting live shows I’d done. So it was great to be able to bring this to a new audience: the American people.

As far as studio albums go, I actually just recorded in Nashville with a great producer named Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle, Caitlin Rose), which was an amazing experience. He had some of the best guys working in the studio with me, and we are really looking forward to bring that out in early 2014 in the U.S.A. We’ll hopefully be touring that all around America throughout next year.

CM: You have lots of traditional folk instruments smattered across your albums. Which ones do you play?

JL: On my last album, Blood Thinner, I played everything—g guitar, banjo, harmonium, piano, wine glasses, drums, and some other percussion I made with boxes, table tops, and trash cans.

CM: We’ve been listening to a lot of bands from Melbourne lately– you, Vance Joy, and The Rubens to name a few. Any other Melbourne music you’re digging that should be on our radar?

JL: Mia Dyson and Liz Stringer are two of the best singers and multi-instrumentalists I know. Beautiful powerful blues and soul influences, and they have released probably ten albums combined.

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Caroline McDonald

My first memory is of singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” quietly to myself during preschool naptime. Perhaps it’s because I’m from Nashville where an instrument lives in every home, but music has gripped me for as long as I can remember.

After dabbling in many parts of the music industry—recording studios, PR, management, labels, publishing—I’m expanding into music journalism because I’m yet to find anything more rewarding that finding and sharing new music.

A longtime sucker for girls with guitars, my musical taste unabashedly follows the songwriting lineage of Dolly Parton and includes Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch, and Neko Case. But not to pigeonhole myself, my music love is big love that stretches from R.L. Burnside to Animal Collective to Lord Huron.

I’ve recently moved home to Nashville after living in Boston and Big Sur for several years. I’d forgotten how music pours onto the streets ten hours a day, seven days a week. I’m honored to share the creative explosion happening here. If your band is in the area or of the area, please reach out!