Photo by Aaron Adams
Mississippi-born singer/songwriter Jordyn Mallory released her debut EP to iTunes in May, led by the infectious summer-themed "Boat Friend." Jordyn took some time to talk to me about the making of the EP and the inspiration behind each track.
"BOAT FRIEND"
The story behind the song:
"Two years ago I was in a jeep with a group of girls and we were headed to the lake, and one of the girls said 'y'all I want to be single this summer but we really need to find a guy with a boat." And immediately, without even thinking about it, I said, 'you don't want a boyfriend you want a boat friend' and everybody laughed and I laughed it off, but I put it in my phone, knowing that eventually I was going to write this song."
Process of writing the song:
"I took it into a few writing sessions, and people just didn't get it, they thought it was too silly, too out there. Finally last summer, I took it into a session with Greg Becker and Mike Shimshack and they wrote it with me and I was super happy with how it turned out. I think every girl can relate to wanting a boat friend and every guy wants to be the boat friend, so I think it worked out pretty well."
How the edgy production and melody came about:
"Basically when I said [the hook] to the girl, I said it like that, the way that it kind of raps, like "you don't want a boyfriend, you just want a boat friend" and I never thought it would be the way the melody of the song would turn out, but it just seemed like that would be the most authentic way to do it, the way I actually said it. So we just stuck with it."
The story behind the song:
"Two years ago I was in a jeep with a group of girls and we were headed to the lake, and one of the girls said 'y'all I want to be single this summer but we really need to find a guy with a boat." And immediately, without even thinking about it, I said, 'you don't want a boyfriend you want a boat friend' and everybody laughed and I laughed it off, but I put it in my phone, knowing that eventually I was going to write this song."
Process of writing the song:
"I took it into a few writing sessions, and people just didn't get it, they thought it was too silly, too out there. Finally last summer, I took it into a session with Greg Becker and Mike Shimshack and they wrote it with me and I was super happy with how it turned out. I think every girl can relate to wanting a boat friend and every guy wants to be the boat friend, so I think it worked out pretty well."
How the edgy production and melody came about:
"Basically when I said [the hook] to the girl, I said it like that, the way that it kind of raps, like "you don't want a boyfriend, you just want a boat friend" and I never thought it would be the way the melody of the song would turn out, but it just seemed like that would be the most authentic way to do it, the way I actually said it. So we just stuck with it."
"BOY TO BLAME"
About the phone call that inspired the track:
"My best friend had called me and she was really upset about something that was going on in her relationship at the time and I was super happy and giddy over my relationship. It's kind of crazy to me how you can be happy or sad and boys totally influence our emotions."
On the relatable appeal of the track:
"All the girls seem to like that one."
About the phone call that inspired the track:
"My best friend had called me and she was really upset about something that was going on in her relationship at the time and I was super happy and giddy over my relationship. It's kind of crazy to me how you can be happy or sad and boys totally influence our emotions."
On the relatable appeal of the track:
"All the girls seem to like that one."
"SOUTHERN BELLE"
The inspiration behind the song:
"I grew up in Mississippi and being from a super small town, it's just very hard being a girl in the south. It's just a lot of [people] expect for you to be able to cook, and whenever you graduate to get married and have babies, and that's all great. If you choose to do that. But if you don't, you're still expected to do that. It's probably the most honest song I've ever written...My mom was always super supportive of me going after my dreams, but I have so many friends who's moms expect them to be that perfect southern belle and there's that standard that you have to live up to. And it's not always a bad thing, but sometimes it is. And it kinda hit me how no one had really written a song about it."
On the juxtapostition between the title and the content of the song:
"I went into the the write with the title, 'Southern Belle' and I think the co-writer expected blue jeans, shorts, tank tops, cowboy boots, but that was totally not what I had in mind. I think that it worked out good because when people see the title, that's not exactly what they're expecting, whenever they hear it."
On reactions from fans:
"I was really scared and worried about what people would think about it because the last thing I want people to think is that I am not proud of where I came from. I love Mississippi and I love the people that I grew up with and I wouldn't change anything for the world. So that was my worry, and it totally hasn't been that way. Everyone just says 'wow that's totally relatable. I get that. I get where you're coming from.' So that's been good and I think it surprises people when you sing such an honest song."
On the production of the track:
"The song is such a powerful song, it didn't really need much production to happen. At the beginning of the song it starts out really small, but then as the emotions build, especially in the bridge, it gets intense. So it made sense to have the production build throughout the song, and as the songs goes on. And [my producer] did such a great job, we just wanted it to be different, something edgier than the norm."
The inspiration behind the song:
"I grew up in Mississippi and being from a super small town, it's just very hard being a girl in the south. It's just a lot of [people] expect for you to be able to cook, and whenever you graduate to get married and have babies, and that's all great. If you choose to do that. But if you don't, you're still expected to do that. It's probably the most honest song I've ever written...My mom was always super supportive of me going after my dreams, but I have so many friends who's moms expect them to be that perfect southern belle and there's that standard that you have to live up to. And it's not always a bad thing, but sometimes it is. And it kinda hit me how no one had really written a song about it."
On the juxtapostition between the title and the content of the song:
"I went into the the write with the title, 'Southern Belle' and I think the co-writer expected blue jeans, shorts, tank tops, cowboy boots, but that was totally not what I had in mind. I think that it worked out good because when people see the title, that's not exactly what they're expecting, whenever they hear it."
On reactions from fans:
"I was really scared and worried about what people would think about it because the last thing I want people to think is that I am not proud of where I came from. I love Mississippi and I love the people that I grew up with and I wouldn't change anything for the world. So that was my worry, and it totally hasn't been that way. Everyone just says 'wow that's totally relatable. I get that. I get where you're coming from.' So that's been good and I think it surprises people when you sing such an honest song."
On the production of the track:
"The song is such a powerful song, it didn't really need much production to happen. At the beginning of the song it starts out really small, but then as the emotions build, especially in the bridge, it gets intense. So it made sense to have the production build throughout the song, and as the songs goes on. And [my producer] did such a great job, we just wanted it to be different, something edgier than the norm."
"GOOD MEMORY"
The process of writing the song:
"I think it started out with the 'dirt road lovers part' and from the beginning we knew that the lyric of the song needed to be super important and we needed to tell a story, and in the verses we needed to compare, like 'that barn is a dance floor, the dress is a first date.' So we wanted to use the right lyrics for each part. The song just came from [that feeling], whenever you go through a breakup and you go back to where you're from and something can hit you. Sometimes when the memory is so good, you just wish that you didn't have any memory at all."
Favorite lyric:
"We drive and watch the sky change colors."
Buy Jordyn's EP on iTunes.
*Responses were edited for clarity
The process of writing the song:
"I think it started out with the 'dirt road lovers part' and from the beginning we knew that the lyric of the song needed to be super important and we needed to tell a story, and in the verses we needed to compare, like 'that barn is a dance floor, the dress is a first date.' So we wanted to use the right lyrics for each part. The song just came from [that feeling], whenever you go through a breakup and you go back to where you're from and something can hit you. Sometimes when the memory is so good, you just wish that you didn't have any memory at all."
Favorite lyric:
"We drive and watch the sky change colors."
Buy Jordyn's EP on iTunes.
*Responses were edited for clarity
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