Videos by American Songwriter
For our guest blog series, British soul singer-songwriter Jo Harman weighed in on the experience of recording her sophomore album, People We Become, in Nashville. Find out more about the record, which comes out February 10, at Pledge Music.
Nashville is an incredibly inspiring place and although I had much of the album written long before I came to record in the City, it’s very fair to say that even knowing I would be coming to Nashville, and working at legendary studios like Sound Emporium with great musicians and a great producer, was inspirational in itself. An inspiration as I sat in my East London bedroom, plonking away on guitar or piano by myself, writing the final songs for the record, just imagining how those musicians were really going to give my musical vision real life and shape.
My excitement had been fueled by a taste of it all already when I had originally visited a few months prior to the main ‘event,’ to record two songs, “Lend Me Your Love” and “When We Were Young” (the one Michael McDonald later featured on) with producer Fred Molin and the band he’d put together. This was really to see if it ‘fit’ – if Fred and I worked, if the band worked. It’s safe to say when I heard those guys play the tunes, I all but cried … and in a good way of course. My own UK band are all amazing players but the Nashville guys just took things to a different level. My music is a strange blend of British influences from the ‘golden age of music,’ largely inspired by my Father’s record collection (think Beatles to Cat Stevens to Moody Blues kinda vibe) merged with African American influences, not least Aretha Franklin, gospel and classic soul.
As such, if one had the opportunity for any musicians in the world to play that blend of material, then the Nashville guys were born to do it. That kind of classic, timeless Country-meets-Soul sensibility that they bring to everything is simply perfect. All the players were incredible from Greg Morrow’s tasteful, so on-the-money drumming to Gordon Mote’s gospel piano flourishes. Simply wonderful. Such unmitigated joy for me. Every note counts and every note is for the song, and the song alone. No egos. Nothing else matters.
Yes, I could have made the record in England and it would still have been a good record. But it wouldn’t have been as good, or as characterful, as the record we made in Nashville. Huge credit for that goes to Fred Mollin, a simply great producer, in the finest traditions of the term. Often a light hand on the tiller but, nonetheless, spreading magic dust at every turn. More than that – he spent time to get to know and understand me both as an artist and as a person and that really was key to everything too. He took me to Memphis where we saw Al Green sing in his church, had a private tour of Willie Mitchell’s studio by Willie’s son Boo, and much more, all before we got to work at all. As an artist I had a very clear idea about what I wanted, how the songs should sound, and I can be ferociously particular about things, such as guitar sounds, but Fred and the guys really wanted to make a ‘Jo Harman’ record as much as I did. In fact, during an initial visit I had an opportunity to write with some established Nashville writers. That was an experience in itself, not least because of the speed by which everything is achieved and delivered.
Nashville has a fantastic work ethic and everything is done so fast, so efficiently. In some ways I adored that (productivity isn’t always highest on the agenda in England… we like tea too much) and in others I struggled. For me, writing is a deeply personal experience. So much so I find it very emotionally taxing, and there are many times I positively avoid doing it. It can take months (or years even) for me to write a song, for the idea to manifest itself it coherent way, for me to understand exactly what it is I’m trying to convey. Even then… years later I can come back to a song and only then, finally understand what I was really speaking about. In some ways when I was younger I assumed I wasn’t a natural songwriter – but have since understood that I am – I just have a different approach and style to many of my more illustrious peers and colleagues.
For me some songs only really find their real form and shape after hundreds of live performances, indeed. My song “Cold Heart” from my first album being an example of that for me. What was originally an unassuming, if important, country soul tune has, over time, now become a touchstone epic ballad in my live set. Anyway, in Nashville everything feels more ‘immediate’ which has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. I relied heavily on my initial instincts when making the record – and just had to find peace in the knowledge that if there was something I really couldn’t live with, I could change at a later point. Sometimes ideas need to breathe and ferment but, against that, sometimes they need a very firm push along. Nashville likes to push along!
I wanted People We Become to be a very personal record, a very personal statement. In the end, I included songs I’d written solely by myself or with my long-term collaborators – band mates, in the main – who knew me, and my musical vision, inside out. We made a ‘Jo Harman’ record, and then some. Apart from a great musical experience, recording in Nashville was a great life experience. I fell in love with The Turnip Truck. Enjoyed hot yoga amidst the snow (not literally!).
Essentially, I’m an English artist and I have no time for copyists or ‘wanna be this or wanna be that’s’. I think it’s important to be true to who we are; wear our influences on our sleeves, no doubt. But, basically, at the end of the day, sincerity is key. And honesty is the basis on which I create and self-express. The album People We Become is my story, my album, my vision. But the palette by which that vision was created, is very much coloured by Nashville, and Nashville’s finest. I feel very honoured for that to have been the case.
