Hit The Ground Running: An Interview With Jeanne Jolly

The Boston Globe referred to her as “One of contemporary music’s best-kept secrets…” and with her new release A Place To Run being infused with a grittiness and soulful backbone its no wonder why. Jeanne Jolly comes to town on May 6th at our favorite listening room in the world, Club Passim. And listen you should. The latest from the Raleigh based artist is a buffet of influences running the gamut from classic country to folky goodness and smooth soulfulness that rounds out all the rootsy edges so it shines like new.

We caught up with the singer-songwriter to ask a few questions. Read on up and get out to check out  her show at Passim next week folks…

RLR: What does your songwriting process look like? How important is it to you that your music comes across as a reflection of yourself/how much of your writing tends to be autobiographical in some manner?

JJ: I’m always writing things down as they come to me whether I’m in my car at  a stoplight or just feeling reflective.  When I first started writing, everything was autobriographical but these days, it’s more of a mix of my own experiences & other stories I hear from people I know or read about.  It’s more of an emotion that I’m trying to convey and I’ll build the story off of that emotion.  Sometimes a strong melody comes first and sparks an emotion. Then, I build a story to convey that emotion.  My only set process is to write something down everyday.

RLR: Where do you draw inspiration from the most?

JJ: Life.

RLR: If you could collaborate with any artist, living or not, who would it be?

JJ:Sister Rosetta Tharp & Solomon Burke, Chris Stapleton, Susan Tedeschi, I’ve been listening to a lot of old soul music, gospel & blues lately so that’s where the first half of my answer comes from.  I also think it would be mind blowing to work with writers like Cheryl Wheeler, J.D. Souther, Carol King, Dolly Parton, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Brandy Clark, Brandi Carlile…and of course, Stevie Wonder!

RLR: A big part of what Red Line Roots stands for is collaboration, community and bringing folks together and fostering an environment where artists help each other. How do you feel about that preservation of unity and family sentiment in the folk music community around your own town or city? How does it play into your own music and where you come from? 

JJ:I’m fortunate to live in Raleigh, NC where the artist community is very supportive.  We have a lot of creative & honest music coming from this area and I definitely feel a sense of community among all of the musicians in the Raleigh, Durham, & Chapel Hill area. I also grew up in a family that would sing songs around the campfire so I still feel at home trading songs by a fire in the form of fellowship rather than performance.  I believe this kind of preservation, trading stories through song exists on some level everywhere if you seek it out.

RLR: Anything else you want to plug? 

JJ: I have a new record out, “A Place to Run” with a the official video, “Boundless Love” (all filmed in eastern NC with my band, our friends, my family and our dog Lucy).