 Photo by: Heather Hornbeak
A native of the Missouri Ozarks, Jodee Lewis was raised on folk songs and honky-tonk - and her music reflects the best of both worlds. The first place winner in the 16th annual Great American Songwriting Contest is gearing up to release her latest project, Buzzard's Bluff, where she explores the themes of loss, heartache, and hope. In advance of the album's April 6th release, Lewis answered her Essential 8 and relays the story behind the album's title, discusses the pros and cons of the road, details her favorite venue, and much more!
With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? Buzzard’s Bluff – I wanted this song to feel menacing and dark because it describes a child caught in a cycle of abuse who’s powerless to do anything to help themselves. However, I really hated to leave it like that because I wanted there to be a hint that the kids get out of there at last. So I tried adding a double-time instrumental outro. When I brought it to my band, I asked Doug (guitar) and Katie (fiddle) if they could try some quick solos over it and I absolutely loved what they did right from the beginning. It felt as if the victim was running - escaping. What’s the story behind your album’s title? Buzzard’s Bluff is the name of the first song on the album, but it’s also the name of a real bluff in the Missouri Ozarks near where I grew up. It’s pretty hard to get to – you can’t drive – you have to hike up; you’d never just stumble across it as an outsider. It’s a beautiful place; my sister and I spent a lot of time there as kids and then as teenagers. We’d be looking over this amazing view, but circling in the distance would be these huge birds of prey. As I was writing this album, I was thinking a lot about growing up in the Ozarks, and the imagery of Buzzard’s Bluff seemed to fit my thoughts. The Ozarks are beautiful and secluded, but in the quiet places, predators sometimes lie in wait. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? For me, song ideas usually start with an emotion that I’m feeling and want to express. Sometimes I’ll use the actual circumstances that have caused the emotion, but typically I make up a story. Like most songwriters, I carry around a notebook and use the voice recorder on my phone to jot down lyrics, ideas and melodies that I think about during the day. And then when I sit down to write, I check the lyrics against the melodies and see if any of them seem to go together. If I’m feeling something very strongly, then I usually finish the song right away, otherwise I’m distracted and can’t function well in my regular life. But I also have lots of ideas that never get finished until I’m on a deadline – like studio time is booked, or a show is coming up where I’ve promised new material. How do you spend the long hours in the van? When I’m by myself I take the first 20 minutes or so to mentally run through the next show I’m playing. Then I turn the radio to NPR and listen to all the news, until the segments start to repeat themselves. I’m never so up on current events as when I’m touring. What’s the most frustrating thing about being on the road? I have three kids who are all in school now, and about the time they’re getting home from school, I’m loading in somewhere. It can be almost impossible to find time to talk with them during the week, and I wind up feeling disconnected from them. I also sometimes struggle with feeling guilty when I’m missing their ball games or their dances, or just being there to talk to them when they’ve had a hard day. What do you love most about being on the road? I love having so many shows in a row and waking up each morning knowing that I get to play again that day. I love making connections with other bands and fans from outside Chicago and getting to catch up with old friends. I also love getting acquainted with other cities – trying local food, figuring out directions as I drive through, and comparing their rush hour traffic to Chicago’s. And, even though I miss my family while I’m gone, I enjoy the quiet of the hotel room in the morning and reading the newspaper while I eat breakfast very slowly. What’s your favorite venue and why? Probably my favorite place to play is Maurer Hall at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. The room is beautiful and it sounds great, and it’s a few blocks from my house, which makes load-in easy. But I also really love the vision of the Old Town School and the commitment they have to making music accessible to everyone through lessons, workshops, concerts and community sing-alongs. I’ve taken banjo and fiddle lessons there over the years, and a result, met some of my favorite Chicago musicians (and even one or two that played in my band). Do you have a favorite thing to do on a day off? I like to sleep until noon and then watch movies in my pjs with my kids and my husband. And order take out. And do the crossword puzzle in the Chicago Tribune. Website Purchase
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