FEATURE: Spotlight: Revisited: Jade Bird

FEATURE:

Spotlight: Revisited

Jade Bird

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CURRENTLY playing in the U.S. and…

with some interesting dates ahead, it is a good time to feature Jade Bird. I spotlighted her back in 2018, so I have left it a long time to return to her! Having achieved and done so much since then, I want to focus more on her most recent interviews. Her latest album, Who Wants to Talk About Love?, was released last month. It follows 2021 Different Kinds of Light. I want to start off with an interview from NME from last month. They wrote how Bird picked apart and rebuilt her life whilst working on her third studio album:

“While working on new music after her second album, 2021’s ‘Different Kinds Of Light’, Jade Bird found herself in a “really strange” space. The year before, she had moved from the UK to Austin, Texas with her fiancé during the pandemic, but doubts had started to creep in about where her life was headed. “I was breaking up with my ex sort of subconsciously,” she recalls, “and it was really quite horrific, the relationship.”

After their actual breakup, Bird picked up the pieces and moved once again, this time to Los Angeles, in search of stability and creative spark. “It felt like the time to go, not only creatively but community-wise,” she says. “I was kind of in the middle of this record, and a lot of the producers I wanted to work with were actually in LA. So, I kind of thought, why not just plant myself in the middle to make it all a bit easier?”

After putting years of work into this new album and going through all this personal upheaval, has it shifted the way you view love and how you answer the question that the album’s title poses?

“I think the biggest thing that’s shifted is, I think, when I was looking for love, I thought that I was supposed to find the opposite of myself. That stemmed from this opinion that I was too much or I was feisty, or I needed the water to the fire.

“And now having fallen in love again, and fallen in love for real this time, I realised that perhaps it’s finding someone who can relate to you and resonate with you – maybe that makes them actually similar to you. For example, my boyfriend [producer Andrew Wells] has got the same birthday as me, and he produced the record, so that kind of says it all.

“You can’t be more understood than by the love of your life, so that allows me a lot more creative freedom and confidence. When I heard ‘Stick Around’ back [when it was completed], I was like, there is nothing else I can do. That was the final stage of where that song was supposed to be. And for someone like me that focuses on the songwriting so much, to get that in the production [side of music creation] is just really sick.”

Would you say this has also changed the way you tackle songwriting now?

“I think that process is actually weirdly similar. I definitely write less. When I was a kid, I sort of believed in the craft and I believed I had to get my 10,000 hours in. And I always had this thing of, ‘I’m not good enough, I’m not good enough.’

“And now, I kind of settle that I put my time in and when I sit down and the emotion’s right, I’ll be able to say what I wanna say. Instead of writing 12 songs – that was in the pandemic, I was trying to write a song a day and I was like, ‘These are real crap.’” [laughs]”.

I will end with a review of Who Wants to Talk About Love? It is one of the best albums of this year. There are a couple of other interviews I want to cover before getting to a review. Clunk spoke with Jade Bird about how she channelled her rage, heartbreak and more into the new album. Who Wants to Talk About Love? is something that everyone should hear. Jade Bird is one of our very best artists. Someone I have been a fan of for many years now:

“Kieran: How has it felt to play the new songs live?

Jade: Really cathartic, I think, because they’re all from such like I mean, pretty deep moments just in my life that I was actually felt probably at my most alone for when I was writing these songs. And then you come out the other side and im literaly playing them in real time while still processing the meaning behind them myself. For example, like the one ‘Wish You Well’ that finishes the album. It’s about me and my dad. We haven’t spoken in years. So when I play that song live it’s real time processing of like the forgiveness that I’m trying to get to in the song. Sometimes I’ll cry or have a reaction after playing these songs/ It’s because it truly is the most cathartic thing ever playing them.

Kieran: Yeah, right, And you’re doing it on a public forum as well, which must double those emotions?

Jade: Yeah, I think I’ve always been extremely blessed that the people who like my music are genuinely the warmest, kindest people. Like I can’t express that enough.So I do tend to get this feeling like I feel safe to be that open. I don’t think every artist is that lucky, so yeah, it’s pretty special.

Kieran: I think now more than ever audiences really resonate with the person on stage. There’s more than a two way connection with artists thanks to social media.

Jade: I think it’s interesting to explore because like you know, I follow a lot of artists who are bigger than myself. And I think sometimes I’ve noticed more now than ever, that boundary seems to be being almost crossed because I think people feel like they know that person so much more because of how much we spend on social media. I’m kind of fortunate in that aspect.I don’t think I’m, I’m big enough to ever feel unsafe for like that’s the case with myself. But it is kinda weird to watch that all happen in real time. And yeah, I’ve seen videos of Cairo and stuff and I’m just like, oh wow. You know, it is interesting where we’re at with fandom.

Kieran: Speaking on your new music actually, your new album ‘Who Wants To Talk About Love?’ is out very soon! How are you feeling about having an album that is so personal out there?

Jade: Yeah, I’m just really excited. I think it was like, I’ve been through so much in this past, like, four year period that I honestly never thought I would get to the end. I never thought I would actually have this album. It’s been so, it’s been so many progressions of it, so many iterations. I’m just super grateful and, like, really, I feel really confident.I feel like this is exactly how I wanna be represented, representing myself as an artist through my work. And if people connect with this, they really are connecting exactly with me, and who I am right now. I couldn’t, I couldn’t be more excited really for that.

Kieran: Sonically, did you take any influence from other artists? Or was there someone you were listening too at the time that you thought, I like what they’ve done there?

Jade: I think because it’s such a long period of time, it’s really hard for me to pinpoint. And I know it sounds crazy, but I sort of, I wanted to get the best version of myself on this record. And it maybe wouldn’t have made much sense to try and replicate anything. So I finally found like my sound in me. Um, but I was obviously a huge music fan and I was kinda, I remember Tom Petty, I really got into his music during the middle of this album but in the past I’d struggled to connect with it. Sometimes that happens, you know like an artist is like incredible, but you just personally don’t have that connection. And then I found ‘Wildflowers’ and that was a big one. I actually think I am finding more influences now that the record is finished. Inspiration is coming back for me and I am trying stuff that I am hearing”.

The final interview I am keen to explore is from Music Week. In this interview, Jade Bird talked about how brutal studios can be, what change she would like to see happen in the industry, and not wanting to be pigeon-holed and easily defined as an artist. I can’t wait to see where she heads from her and how her career takes off. With a huge American fanbase, I can see her moving out of the country anytime soon:

“Heavily tipped when she broke in 2017, UK-born, LA-based singer Jade Bird has ploughed her own furrow ever since. Here, she holds court on hype, why studios can be “brutal” and her third LP, Who Wants To Talk About Love?...

Having hit the Top 10 with your debut album, how do you reflect on your breakthrough now?

“There’s a freedom now where the industry feels like anarchy. Everyone gets caught up in monthly listeners, but nothing’s adding up. People that have a bunch of monthly listeners can’t sell out shows and vice versa, so the measurement of success is changing and, honestly, all I care about is being able to play shows for the rest of my life. There’s something freeing about the fact that ‘week one’ no longer matters and a record can have a life whenever, so it’s never over. That’s such a positive about where we are now, especially being a woman, where you’re made to think that at a certain point you’re meant to pack up.”

You’ve spoken before about not wanting to be sonically pigeon-holed – how does the new album open up new ground?

“I’m really proud that the songwriting is quintessentially me and it’s a style [people] can’t replicate because, when you’ve worked on something for 10 years, you get a tone. The production has been really interesting too, because on this record I got to work on it the most in-depth. I was so involved, so even the sonics of it sound so much like me because I was there making every decision.”

Did it take a while to feel like you could have your voice heard as a woman in those studio spaces?

“Oh my God, yes! I’ve been in some rooms recently where, if I hadn’t had a 10-year career and I was 19 again, I’d be in tears. They made me feel like, even though I’ve written the song, that those ideas weren’t good, that I should be grateful to be there. Now, being a bit older and working with a lot of younger female artists, I just want to give any strength I have because these rooms can be brutal.”

How much progress has there been since you started?

“It’s hard to tell because Luka [Kloser] and Elvira [Anderfjärd] just did the new Addison Rae record and that’s the coolest thing ever. You see artists like Charli XCX, or Sabrina Carpenter and [songwriter] Amy Allen – who are a powerhouse duo – and women are fronting pop music in an undeniable way. But then we’re still struggling with stats for producers and still maybe not addressing the root cause.”

What are the biggest hurdles facing artists right now?

“Touring is where artists have always made money. With record sales, you’ve got a history of artists being screwed over even before things went digital, but touring is becoming more expensive and harder to make a profit on. So if you take that out, and you’re taking digital out, where else is it supposed to come from? Label advances? And do you want the kind of music where labels are just putting a bunch of money in all the time? It’s a dangerous game where we’re all supposed to eventually go on Patreon. We’re edging towards artists being a subscription service, which is pretty dark…”

So, what would be the one change you’d make to the industry?

“That you can’t play a show if you’re gonna make a loss. If you’re selling out a show, there has to be some stipulation that’s like, ‘OK, you will make this amount.’ It just seems so obscene that you can play shows and the costs wipe you out, even though you’ve sold it out. There needs to be some way – whether it’s through the big companies or through unions – that artists can turn a profit like they used to”.

I will finish things off with one of the positive reviews for Who Wants to Talk About Love? An artist you can see growing and changing between albums, I think that this is her best work yet. The Line of Best Fit provided an insightful and thoughtful reviews for Jade Bird’s third album. A remarkable release from a singular and extraordinary songwrtiter:

“She now returns four years on from her last album. After moving from Austin to LA and going through a painful breakup, the scars are clear to see on “Who Wants To Talk About Love” a moving and introspective LP that has a searing honesty to it.

This album sees a return to more familiar surroundings for Jade, after experimenting with 2024’s EP, Burn the Hard Drive, which included a surprise detour into the world of synths and a collaboration with Mura Masa.

Bird has discussed how she began writing about her parents’ strained relationship and breakup but saw herself going through a similar situation herself. “Stick Around” has a rawness to it initially, just Bird’s haunting vocals and guitar as she sings about whether her ex really loved her It’ll strike a chord with many, and it’s this emotional openness that makes this such an affecting album.

Bird’s songwriting and style have drawn obvious comparisons to Americana, but on this record, it feels like she’s put her stamp on it, honing both her songwriting and overall sound. She started writing the title track, "Who Wants," at sixteen about her parents' relationship, but the track has evolved into something new considering her own experiences.

“Avalanche” further explores the weight of the breakup as she sings of being crushed by an avalanche and needing a search party. It is buoyed by some haunting vocals that really linger, creating a powerful atmosphere.

There are flashes of more of an indie styling which is another strand of Bird’s sound. “Dreams”, in particular, is more of an upbeat, electric track with a rougher vocal, showing a different side to other parts of the album. It is even more enriching for it and captures the balance of her sound wonderfully. This track was written at a point when the relationship was beginning to crumble and while the sound is propulsive, there is a vulnerability at its heart.

With many tracks sub three minutes, the storytelling is short and sharp, painting a clear picture of Jade’s mental state while keeping a brilliant sense of flow and rhythm to the album.

While an examination of a failed relationship, there is a sense of optimism on the likes of “Save Your Tears” and “How To Be Happy”, Bird is finding a way to forge a new path and escape her past. It is a forward-thinking and sounding record that takes its pain and hurt and makes something moving and richly rewarding.

This record is Jade Bird’s strongest to date, an expansion of her sonic influences and an intimate depiction of the aftermath of a breakup and the trials and tribulations that come with that. This honesty is refreshing and will connect with many. She’s found a way to expand her sonic palette, drawing on her influences to create something fresh and captivating”.

Maybe I could have included her in my Modern-Day Queens feature. Where I celebrate the best female artists around. However, as I featured Jade Bird in 2018, I felt I should update that feature and sort of catch up with her as it were. I do hope that we hear many more albums from her. Such a wonderful musician, make sure that you follow her on social media and check out Who Wants to Talk About Love? It is without doubt one of 2025’s…