Jill Fleming Q & A for New EP Release – “Whiskey Heart”

Young people making excellent music is really making me feel old…and like I wasn’t doing anything worth talking about when I was in college. One young lady who is doing a lot of great stuff is Jill Fleming. Jill is a local South Shore gal (something I hold close to my heart) currently up at UNH and she has a new EP about to be released. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her music, the recording process, and what has shaped her as a musician now. Check it out below, and check back for my thoughts on the EP before its out later this month…

1: What projects are you currently working on? You have a release on the horizon, tell us about it!

JF: For the past year I’ve been recording and working on my first real project, the Whiskey Heart EP. It was recorded at Joe Merrick’s Guilty Dog Studios in my hometown of Marshfield. The process has been really exciting and I’ve learned so much from being in the studio. For my debut project, I’m proud of the work we did and I can’t wait for people to hear it.

2: What do you think makes a good music community and scene great?

JF: I feel so lucky to have grown up on the south shore because the music community is so incredible and unique. What makes it so great is the support between musicians. There’s so much talent in our area but I’ve never been made to feel intimidated. Since getting into the scene fairly recently I have made some wonderful friends and everyone truly cares for and supports each other. In theory, music should be a sort of “dog-eat-dog” competitive trade, and I think in most places it is, but here it’s just not and that’s awesome. I think we all benefit from it.

JF: Oh jeez. A few months back I was a guest on WATD’s Almost Famous show. I told a story about a frog from when I used to work at a wildlife rehab center. Then I started playing a song and half way through it I got a ‘frog in my throat’ while singing. I think it was the frog’s ghost coming back to haunt me.

4: If you could collaborate with anyone from the area (general New England) who would it be? Any favorite local musicians we should all be listening to?

JF: This is hard…. I feel a rant coming. I’ve actually never met her but I think Sarah Borrello is awesome. In the future I want to do more bluesy stuff so I could definitely take some notes from her. Boston Catalano is another one of my favorites. Boston is probably the person who has made me feel most comfortable coming into the local music community. She’s such a sweetheart but is still somehow so badass in performing and songwriting and I envy that. I’ve worked with Joe Merrick in the studio but I think it would be cool to get a chance to write with him. He just has such a musical brain. Les Sampou was the person who got me into songwriting and taught me the basics of it. I love her style and I think she has influenced me a lot. Hopefully when I graduate college this spring we can find some time to write together because we make a good team. My favorite songwriter of all time is probably Lori McKenna. Everything she does is so raw and genuine. I would be thrilled if I ever got the opportunity to write with her. This is the last one I promise…. Susan Tedeschi. Like I said, I want to get more into blues and Susan just has so much soul I often forget she’s from Norwell. Her vocals and guitar playing are incredible and I would love to get the chance to meet her and pick her brain a bit.

JF: Three records that shaped me: The first record I remember falling in love with was when I was about 5 and it was Duane Allman’s ‘An Anthology’. Even now when I see the cover to that album I remember holding it in my five year old hands and begging my parents to put it on. Another record would have to be Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They are A-changing’. That’s the album I started playing when I first picked up a guitar and the title track is the first song I performed in front of an audience. The last one would have to be John Mayer’s ‘Where the Light is’ live album. I was really acoustic and folk minded before I started listening to his guitar playing. Songs like ’Vultures’ and ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’ opened my eyes to blues.

Three records for right now: Lori McKenna’s ‘Lorraine’ is such a beautifully written record. She has the rawness that I aim for when I write songs and was one of the biggest influences on ‘Whiskey Heart’. Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Same Trailer Different Park’ is another one of my more recent favorites. It’s so well written and I think she is the best thing in country music right now. Finally, the album that’s been in my headphones almost constantly lately is The Tedeschi Trucks Band’s ‘Made Up Mind’. Derek Truck’s guitar style combined with Susan Tedeschi’s powerhouse vocals are absolutely unmatched. I love blues rock and I hope to get more into it in the future.

6: Why is creating music important to you?

JF: I really don’t know and I think I like that because it keeps me interested. What I do know is that whether I find success in this industry or not, I’ll always be writing music. I’ve never felt more myself than I have in the past year and I really think that’s because I started pursuing music. I don’t expect it to be easy but I’m excited to see what will happen with this EP and going forward.

7: Aside from music, do you have any other pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?

JF: I’m a big fan of the outdoors. I’m in my senior year of studying Wildlife Biology at the University of New Hampshire. I’ve always felt a strong connection with nature and wildlife, and it’s a big part of who I am. When I’m not playing music, I really enjoy hiking.

8.  Anything else you want to plug or we should know :

JF: I starting playing music because my best friends all chipped in to buy my first guitar for my 16th birthday. They knew I had a passion for music and they gave me not only instrument I needed to pursue it but the confidence as well. I am very thankful for them and that gift. My mother has also been extremely supportive of my music. I wouldn’t have been able to get to this point without her help. 

The Whiskey Heart EP Release party will be October 19th at the Wildflower Café in Duxbury from 7-9 PM. You can buy an EP there before it’s available for digital download on October 22nd.

Do yourself a favor and check out Jill’s Facebook page, on youtube, on whatever internet thing you can (or just catch her in person at her release on the 19th)! 

https://www.facebook.com/JillFlemingMusic