Jordie Lane returns to WA this weekend to perform at the Fremantle Arts Centre (afternoon) and Ellington Jazz Club (supported by Ruby Boots in solo mode) this Sunday, October 27. BOB GORDON reports.
Having spent the last year living in the US, Jordie Lane is back with a new EP, Not Built To Last, and single, Here She Comes.
The EP is recorded with a gathering of experienced Nashville musicians, providing a step on from Lane’s 2011 album, Blood Thinner, a more intimate affair, caught up a lot in the memory and spirit of Gram Parsons and a time spent residing at the Joshua Tree Inn.
“I wouldn’t say it was caught up in the memory of Gram at all,” Lane qualifies. “It was initially inspired by an experience out in the Joshua Tree desert yes, but more so a personal journey.
“It was only natural to take a different route indeed with this. I decided on full band of pro session guys in Nashville, Tennessee, with producer, Skylar Wilson, from Memphis.”
Given it’s been two years since his album, it may seem unusual that Lane has opted for an EP this time around. It seems that it’s not a move away in general from album formats, more that he just wanted to let these songs fly.
“I had a collection of songs that needed two different approaches,” he notes. “So I did break it up into Nashville sessions, and then some in LA. The experiment was to see if they wanted to be married on an album, but at this stage they don’t. And we really liked this group of tracks as their own thing, so Not Built To Last was born.”
Nashville certainly has an effect on people who visit and record there. Lane is no different.
“It’s definitely made me realise I don’t wanna live there,” he notes. “It’s too small of a town and creeps me out that way. But on the same point it is great to run into the same people in the strangest of circumstances quickly.
“I think one definite thing it does, is make you take your music seriously. As a real, tangible thing. And it makes you get off your arse and get to work!”
Lane will be touring Australia with Juno Award-winning Canadian musician, Old Man Luedecke. He can hardly wait.
“Old Man Luedecke, is a fantastically talented folk songwriter and banjo picker from Nova Scotia,” he explains. “It was back in February this year that we met in Toronto. I was blown away by his ‘in the round’ show with one of my all time favourites, Sam Baker, at a festival there, and we got to talking about him coming out to Australia on tour.
“He’s a brilliant musician and great guy, and although we haven’t actually toured before, I just know this one’s gonna be crazy good fun.”
