Quotes like this say a lot about an artist. The price for one’s craft is always high… the hours developing, practicing, packaging, and presenting it can rival the total amount of time spent in medical school… but how many MD’s can honestly say that if they were to die while caring for a patient, that they would’ve died happy?
That’s the gift that the craft returns to the artist… and I’m sure many would agree that it is so important to be appreciative of how the art affects them and not the other way around.
And that is a quality that I hear in the music of this week’s featured artist.
Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Sally Jaye has put together quite a record with her 2007 release, Amarillo. Sally Jaye’s music falls nicely into the Americana / Alt. Country genre and leans towards the folky side of things while still incorporating bits and pieces of country and bluegrass. There’s a stillness to Amarillo, and I absolutely love the atmosphere to the record… it’s poignant, reflective, longing, yet altogether peaceful. She caters to the song, and put together a team that helped bring the songs to life. As Jaye explains, “If you can get together the right musicians, engineer, producer, people…everyone brings their heart, soul, and artistic point of view, and then you have something. I was lucky because my band, engineer, and producer all brought my little songs out of my head, and made them into music.”
The modest origins of the songs were born on an old $200 piano Jaye bought from St. Vincent’s Thrift Store. As she tells us at TheFrontloader.com, “I had a piano tuner come over, and he told me it was a “boat sinker,” and he would never be able to fix it. Three hours and $160 later, he had it in tune, and even though he thought it sounded horrifying, I thought it sounded beautiful. It’s always nice to have a new (old) instrument to inspire songwriting, I think.”
Amarillo’s songs fit this idea, as there is an old, vintage vibe that dominates. I had mentioned to Jaye that I could feel the room around me when spinning the Cd. She explained that the openness was part of her vision, and was captured by engineer Mike Terry of New Monkey Studio: “I felt like I was sitting in my little Hollywood apartment playing. New Monkey is a small studio, so we were all very close together. It’s important to me to be able to see the musicians I’m playing with. Mike was able to set up that situation for us without question. You are hearing us all in one room, and Mike was able to translate to the tape. He rules.” Jaye kept with the “old” theme by recording straight onto two-inch analog tape, a practice that is growing increasingly rare within recording studios. Analog tape delivers a “fatter,” “warmer” sound that the digital realm is often unable to duplicate.
As a listener, I get the feeling that I am transported to Jaye’s childhood home in Georgia, sitting around spinning the country and gospel music her father would play for her and her siblings. Jaye describes the album as autobiographical: “Although I have a big imagination and make up stories every day, I find that when I write songs, they only work for me when it’s personal. That’s why it feels good to write a song. The way it feels to let go of something you’re feeling so strong.”
I get the impression that the songs tell the story on her need to leave Georgia in search for greener pastures. Lines like “I don’t feel like runnin’ but I can’t stay,” (Junkyard) begins her journey, “There’s a motel room in Amarillo waiting for me,” (Amarillo) bring us with her on the trip, and finally “So let California teach me a lesson,” (Georgia You Were Right) is where she realizes her resting point.
Upon first listen, I would have guessed that Jaye landed in Nashville, but as she shares with us, ”If it were the 1960s, you better believe I’d be in Nashville. But, Nashville isn’t really making country music anymore, the kind I love so much at least. I went to college in Nashville, and I loved that city (still do!), but I couldn’t get past a music industry man in the town, unless if’n I were a beauty queen with a sweet voice and a willingness to try co-writing with some proud redneck dudes. So, I ran off to Los Angeles where the weirdos are.” She admits that many of her songwriting heroes are from country music, but goes to on to say, “I may produce my songs more like country songs, but I definitely don’t limit myself to any genre of writing. I’ve tripped on mushrooms at a Phish show, and I’ve been front row, dancing my ass off, at a Michael Jackson concert.“
A standout track off Amarillo is “When The Cocaine Wears Off.” I was immediately drawn to the story of pain and loss that surrounds the lyric. I absolutely love the lines:
I lose a little more of faith
And I can’t stand to cause you pain
When I asked her about the meaning behind the song, she replied, “I will say that if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that feeling fucked up doesn’t hurt near as much as feeling like you fucked someone else up. That’s what I was feeling when I wrote that song, I think.” The music has a dreariness that is accentuated by the pedal steel guitar… Jaye definitely bares her soul here, and although I believe that she’s not a perpetually dreary person in real life, I think this aspect of her songwriting is where she shines the most.
Earlier, when Jaye said that “Nashville isn’t really making country music anymore,” I think one thing she might be referring to is the honesty in the music. Let’s face it, top 40 country music isn’t exactly the most lyrically “honest” music around. I highly doubt that Alan Jackson really means it when he sings:
A T with an I an M with an E
That spells good time
A good time
He’s not really telling us anything about Alan Jackson…
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again… country music needs to take a hint from the Americana scene and get back to what is truly in the soul of the artists. Jaye’s record Amarillo is an excellent example of a writer writing about what they undoubtedly know in their heart of hearts. In my humble opinion, if you feel like you know an artist more on a personal level upon hearing their record, then that means the artist has done their job well. Jaye has released one of the more honest records I’ve come across in a long time, and I know I’m going to be spinning it for a long time to come.
When asked about her plans for the future, Sally Jaye tells us, “Well, we just did a live gospel record in Newton, NC in a little old church from the late 1700s. That will be out in 2009, and I’m hoping to also have a new studio record. Most stuff with me happens on the fly. I’ve never been very good at planning. I don’t know if I’ll ever make another record, I’m just waiting to see what happens.”
I certainly hope that all the stars align and you do make another record… it would be a shame to lose such a distinct voice in music.
Here are some upcoming show dates for Jaye:
Dec. 3, 8pm @ The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 13, 8pm @ The Lodge in Ventura, CA
Jan. 17, 8pm @ The Lodge in Ventura, CA
Pick it up, dig it, share it, see a show, spread the word…
**** Special thanks to Sally Jaye for taking the time to answer our questions!!!! ****
Buy Amarillo on Amazon
Buy Amarillo on iTunes
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Download: Amarillo
Download: When the Cocaine Wears Off
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