Songwriter's Monthly Feb. '11, #133 - Jessi Robertson

8/7/2019 Songwriter's Monthly Feb. '11, #133 - Jessi Robertson

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essi Robertson is fearlessly open. Ifou ask her a question, shell answerith depth and honesty. Shell hand youflashlight, show you where to point it

nd invite you to search all the darkestorners, cracks and crevices of her life.hell give you a tour of all those secretlaces she used to hide before she

earned to run.

ut she doesnt live there any more.hats why shes not afraid to let you in.hrough the difficult lyrical terrainraversed on her debut full-band studiobum, SMALL TOWN GIRLS, Jessi offersn abyss of insight, understanding andctory that ultimately provides hope.

Its a concept album about growing upn a small town and eventually leaving

behind, Jessi explained. I grew up inhe Hudson Valley in a tiny town calledardiner, NY. I think small towns areomewhat the same anywhere you go.veryone knows everybodys business.

Its hard to escape. Theres nothingdo, so its easy to get messed updrugs and alcohol (thankfully, I avoithat).

As a songwriter, I had a life-chanexperience reading the novel MY NAIS ASHER LEV, Robertson continuIts about a hasidic boy who want

be a painHes taughta master l e a r n s tmean ing being a grartist, and athe price, his paintine v e n t u acause discw i t h i n hf a m i l y aforce him go against teachings his rel igiWhen I rthat bookrealized tha

didnt want to be a rock star, it mme want to be an artist. It made

want to be truthful in my sonwhatever the cost.

Jessi is staggeringly vulnerable in
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music. She risks all for the truth. Buts a truth thats sung with beautiful,oul-weary vocals that resonate withompassion, making Robertsonserformance absolutely mesmerizing.

he tender sincerity of her raspy voiceently caresses and comforts like a

overs whisper in the night.

As I grew up, I forgot all about theeason I started writing, Jessionfessed. I had new reasons, noetter or worse, just different. But

when it came time to finally make aecord in the studio, those reasonsame back to me and thats why Iecided to do a concept album andevisit these old memories and storiesrom the past.

he title track is a twangy, atmosphericortrait of surviving growing up in amall town. The lyrics contain a numberf bleak images of a young girl inrouble which will linger in your mindsye long after the song has finishedlaying.

Its all true, she declared. I used toave terrible insomnia as a kid and Idead classic novels all night and then goo school. And I used to draw all over

myself with Sharpie pens. As an adult, Ilways wondered why no one noticedhe problems I had. An introvertednsomniac writing poetry about people

bleeding to death . . . and somehthat didnt set off any alarm bells?

But as autobiographical as Small ToGirls is, Jessi acknowledged that haunting vignette of a young girl hidbehind a fragile door called, DCome In Here, was far more revealThe elegant swell of melody coupwith the vivid imagery makes perhaps the most poignant track on album.

I think most of us have had feeling at one time, Robertson notdesperately needing to be alone wall thats standing between you what youre avoiding is a plywood dwith a useless lock. When I was a writing poetry and music, I alwthought that one day Id tell thstories of growing up because I kn

other people felt the same way anwanted to say, Youre not alonethis.

One of the more musically upbeat, ttapping songs on the album finds Jsinging directly to her audience. It wonderful peek behind the veil of artists mind and a sentiment t


4/5

robably rings as true for the averageerson as it does a performer: I cannly be free when I sing.

You Dont Want to Taste My Heart is aeally long title, Robertson conceded,but I couldnt help it, thats how Iometimes feel as a performer. Asonderful and responsive as anudience can be, theres only so farheyll go with me because even thought s a r t t o m e , t o t h e m i t sntertainment and this isnt a culturehat makes us comfortable withntimacy and self-examination. I oftense the human body as a metaphor foruman emotion. As a performer, I feelhat I have to absolutely lay bare theruth of what I feel, but its hard to turnhat off and on. Its hard to be

completely real and vulnerable athen push that part of myself aside go chitchat with my friends and fans

The song is also about cutters, Jcontinued. Ive known several peowho have a compulsion to themselves. I cant say why somedoes that except maybe to fsomething, to make a physical mthat expresses their anguish. In a wIm acting as a cutter through song, Im trying to both communicand control my feelings to leave a mon myself and my audience so thatcan feel something and know its rea

The first single off the album isdriving anthem with just a hintMelissa Etheridge called Half-Moo


5/5

he song is constructed around thene: We all lie to hide what we can nothow. Jessie informed, I decided to

elease Half-Moon as the single becausewanted to start off with an uptempo

ong while still expressing some of thehemes of the album includingienation and abuse. It's starts with

he half-moon referring to the moonhaped marks left on your palm afterou clench your hands too tightly, thenvolves into the way people act as

moons and suns, orbiting and eclipsingach other, with emotions rising andbbing, ultimately questioning theonesty in relationships and whether orot we remain strangers even when wehink we know someone.

When asked if there might be a trackn the album that wasnt necessarilybout her past, but was moreepresentational of the woman she hasecome, Jessi replied, Whiskey andigarettes is the most me at the

moment.

he song portrays a hard-edged womantting at the bar at the end of theight, shes tough, but could maybe uselittle company.

I like your take on the version we did.t is kind of the end of the night andheres a defiance there, but its sliding

away like yesterdays makeup. Aeven though shes fine on her own doesnt need anyone, that doespreclude her wanting someone. some reason, I always feel that wanbetter than need. Want is voluntarychoice, while need is dependence. Tsong is less about smoking and drinkand more about pride. I often jokincall it my mantra.

SMALL TOWN GIRLS features Jeslongtime friends and collaboratoincluding producer Chris Cub(Wakey!Wakey!, Harper Blynn) aguitarist Greg Tuohey (Lowry). A laportion of her album was fundthrough the generous support of fan base on Pledge Music and percent of album proceeds will donated to The Rape, Abuse & IncNational Network (RAINN), the natiolargest anti-sexual assault organizati

For more information on Jessi, visitwww.jessirobertson.com

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http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/jessirobertson

http://www.rainn.org
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Songwriter's Monthly Feb. '11, #133 - Jessi Robertson

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