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Jade Bird Sofa Session

Singer-songwriter Jade Bird joins Jo for a Sofa Session, including music from her forthcoming second album and a vintage cover.

Singer-songwriter Jade Bird joins Jo for a Sofa Session, including music from her forthcoming second album and a vintage cover.

For Jade Bird, the second that lockdown lifted, there were no aimless summer days spent meeting friends in parks; no languorous evenings in pub gardens. She was headed straight back to Nashville to complete her second album with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Lady Gaga).

She'd previously had a taste of the UK hype cycle, making the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 2018 Sound Of鈥� poll and being tipped everywhere from Vogue to Rolling Stone. Her self-titled debut album arrived a year later. Despite those early garlands, she didn鈥檛 become an overnight success. 鈥淚 was really glad,鈥� she says. 鈥淢usically I was not ready. Lyrically I was not ready. And mentally I was not ready.鈥� Nevertheless, Jade Bird 鈥� as barnstorming an album as came out in 2019 鈥� received plaudits from the likes of Pitchfork and NPR.

Her new song, Houdini, puts to bed the part of her past where she was obsessed with literal abandonment. If her debut reflected on 鈥渓iterally every male family member being absent, present, absent, present鈥�, the new music she is making reflects on what it means to stay, to love, to allow yourself to be loved. It鈥檚 about 鈥渂eing with somebody who you adore more than the whole world that hasn鈥檛 got the foundations to believe in themselves,鈥� she says. 鈥淗asn鈥檛 had people supporting them in a way that their potential can be realised, 鈥榗ause they鈥檝e been crippled by the people or environments that surround them.鈥�

In the US, the last year or so has seen Jade become part of a community of songwriters and career artists who showed her that a happier, more holistic and sustainable way of working was possible. The likes of Isbell, Sheryl Crow and Jade鈥檚 friend and champion, Brandi Carlile, promote a nurturing environment, she says, and often tour with their families in tow. It was inspiring. 鈥淓specially for a young, female artist, knowing that you can be happy and do your job is really underrated,鈥� says Jade. Jade resents the modern idea that musicians are also expected to be marketers and businesspeople; for her, musicians are meant to be artists. She admires Brandi鈥檚 longevity: 鈥淚t took her six albums before she hit By the Way, I Forgive You. The work ethic! The belief!鈥�

Hence why Jade and her partner have just moved to the US 鈥� flying out on the date of the 2020 election, no less. Plus she鈥檚 young and she鈥檚 never lived away from home before, bar the many months spent on the tour bus: why not? They鈥檙e starting in Austin, moving in with a photographer friend, but Jade calls it 鈥渢he move before the move鈥� 鈥� next they might go to Nashville, or Portland. Her new album isn鈥檛 expected until autumn 2021, in the hope that touring is possible again by then. 鈥淚 want the album to have a moment,鈥� she says.

In the meantime, maybe she鈥檒l work on the punk album she鈥檚 been making with iconic songwriter Linda Perry, a concept record inspired by the B-52s, the Raincoats and riot grrrl, and based on feminist author Charlotte Perkins Gilman鈥檚 utopian 1915 novel, Herland, about a society composed entirely of women who can reproduce asexually. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in my back pocket,鈥� says Jade, brimming with excitement. 鈥淭hird album, fourth album.鈥� There鈥檚 no rush. The trepidation she felt about her profession on her debut has dissipated. 鈥淚 never felt like I could call myself an artist 鈥� like, we鈥檒l see. Whereas I know that鈥檚 my occupation now. That鈥檚 who I am, and that鈥檚 incredibly reassuring.鈥�

1 hour, 57 minutes

Last on

Wed 16 Dec 2020 19:00
麻豆约拍 Radio 2

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Music Played

  • Grandmaster & Melle Mel

    White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)

    • Best Of Sugar Hill Records (Various Artists).
    • Rhino Records.

  • The Weeknd

    Save Your Tears

    • After Hours.
    • XO/Republic.
    • 11.

  • The Kooks

    狈补茂惫别

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.

  • Maisie Peters

    Maybe Don't (feat. JP Saxe)

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
    • 1.

  • Chilly Gonzales

    The Banister Bough (feat. Feist)

  • Chilly Gonzales

    In The Bleak Mid Winter (feat. Jarvis Cocker)

  • Mura Masa

    Live Like We're Dancing (feat. Georgia)

    • R.Y.C.
    • Polydor.
    • 4.

  • Badly Drawn Boy

    Donna and Blitzen

    • XL.

  • Utah Saints

    Something Good

    • London Records.

  • Jade Bird

    Headstart (Sofa Session, 16 Dec 2020)

  • Jade Bird

    Houdini (Sofa Session, 16 Dec 2020)

  • Jade Bird

    There She Goes (Sofa Session, 16 Dec 2020)

  • John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band

    Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (feat. The Harlem Community Choir)

    • GIMME SOME TRUTH. (Deluxe).
    • EMI.

  • Massive Attack

    Hymn of the Big Wheel

  • Jake Bugg

    All I Need

    • All I Need.
    • RCA Records Label.
    • 1.

  • EELS

    Mr. E's Beautiful Blues

    • (CD Single).
    • Dreamworks.

  • Oh Wonder

    This Christmas

    • This Christmas.
    • Island Records.
    • 1.

  • Arab Strap

    The Turning Of Our Bones

    • The Turning Of Our Bones.
    • Rock Action Records.
    • 1.

  • Jockstrap

    Acid

    • Warp.

  • David Bowie

    The Jean Genie

    • David Bowie - Best Of Bowie.
    • EMI.

  • Mint Royale

    Singin' In The Rain

    • (CD Single).
    • Sony BMG.

  • Julia Stone

    Dance

    • Dance.
    • 1.

  • Sam Smith

    The Lighthouse Keeper

    • The Lighthouse Keeper.
    • Capitol Records.
    • 1.

  • Sufjan Stevens

    O Come, O Come Emmanuel

  • Peggy Lee

    The Christmas Waltz

    • Totally Christmas.
    • 12.

Broadcast

  • Wed 16 Dec 2020 19:00
    麻豆约拍 Radio 2