INTERVIEW: Jordan Laser on her latest single '100 Days of Solitude': "Every song’s got it’s own personality and this one has a rawness and intimacy to it"

Image: Maclay Heriot

Sydney based singer-songwriter Jordan Laser recently released her second single of 2021, ‘100 Days of Solitude’. A delicate, immersive piano and guitar ballad, it tells a story of isolation and solitude we are all familiar with after the past 18 months, but is given an intimate, personal touch of Laser’s disintegrating relationship with a man who turned out to be not who she thought she was. With a dreamy, otherworldly soundscape and a delicate, almost ethereal vocal delivery from Laser, the single is the first release from a new collection of music she recorded late last year. We recently caught up with Jordan to find out more.

Hi Jordan! So great to catch up with you. How is everything in your world right now?
Great! Lockdown Round 2 has given me a chance to do some of the things that I'd been neglecting, like meditating again, reading more, finishing demos, and just generally filling up my well again. 

Congratulations on the release of your new single ‘100 Days of Solitude’ it is such a beautiful song. I understand it was born in the lockdowns of 2020, can you tell me a bit more about the inspiration behind this one?
Thank you. Yes we can add this to the long list of pandemic songs that were written last year. On one hand it came from the pain of being disappeared on by someone, and then finding out that they weren’t who they said they were. But on the other, just from the challenge of having to be totally alone during that lockdown period, it was like ‘okay Jordan you always say you love being on your own, now’s the real test’. 

What was the creative process like for ‘100 Days of Solitude’?
The whole experience from the writing to the recording of this song was very free and effortless, which is often not the case as I can often feel stuck and tangled. It was a combination of writing the song quickly and not overthinking it, and working with people who made me feel safe and seen. And the song was recorded between my home and The Grove Studio.

There is a more earthy, indie sound to this track compared to your last two singles, ‘Slow Motion’ and ‘Battleship’, which both had a more subdued electronica feeling. What was the idea behind going down this sonic route?
I think it really comes down to the song informing the production. Every song’s got it’s own personality and this one has a rawness and intimacy to it so needed to be treated as such.…with real piano and guitars, and space in the mix. I was also listening to a lot of folk songs and ballads and it really reminded me of the beauty of simplicity. 

What role did music play in your childhood?
It was always around. I was constantly being introduced to the music my parents loved, as we all are. Piano lessons were definitely a big one too. I think learning an instrument was like being handed the keys to a kingdom. It’s a very powerful thing to give a kid.  My childhood was filled with all kinds of creativity and music was just part of this larger environment. I was always tinkering at the piano, or drawing, playing dress ups and dancing around the living room, writing little stories, making fairy homes in the garden. I feel very lucky that my parents encouraged me in this way because I think it gave me permission to be myself from an early age.

You have mentioned artists such as Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Massive Attack have inspired your sound, are these the artists you loved as a kid or did you discover them as you got older?
I’ve loved all three of those artists since I was young, they definitely helped form the musical soundscape of my early life and for that reason alone they endure to this day.

Was a career in music something you always knew you were going to pursue, or was it more of an unexpected outcome?
When I dig deep and really think about it - which I haven’t done in a long time so thank you for this question - music was always something I wanted to do, from about the age of the 13. But it was never explicitly articulated and it took me a long time to say out loud. But I remember the thrill and nourishment I always got from making melodies and writing lyrics to fit those melodies. I toyed with uni and other things after I left school, partly because I felt I had to because I’d done so well at school, but there were no other real contenders - career wise - for my love interest. 

You first released music in 2013 with the EP Just Like Autumn and followed it with the single ‘Prisoner of Pride’ in 2014, you then took an extended break from music, returning in 2020. Why did you choose to step away from music, and what was the impetus for you to return?
I never stepped away from music, just the industry as such. I’d had a series of let downs professionally and personally and felt like I needed to redirect myself. Find new people. Learn how to produce. Develop my voice. Write enough songs so that I didn’t have to sing the old ones. And it just took the amount of time that it took. 

The music industry has long been a difficult space for women to exist in due in the main to it being run by older, white, straight men for decades. What are your thoughts on sexism and gender equality in music?
I am one thousand percent behind any woman who has been mistreated in this industry, or any industry for that matter, and thank god for the #Metoo movement which has shone a light on the extent to which women have suffered in this space.   

The problem with the movement here in Australia though is that we have these draconian defamation laws which create the very real and terrifying prospect that victims of sexual assault and harassment can actually be sued for airing their experiences. This means that there are countless untold stories of women too afraid to voice what has happened to them. So although the landscape has improved - and is improving - we’re still a long way from where we need to be. 

What’s up next for Jordan Laser? 
Getting more songs out into the world and just enjoying the process.

‘!00 Days of Solitude’ is out now. You can download and stream here.

To keep up with all things Jordan Laser you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.