The Lane Way

Much of Jordie Lane's inspiration has come out of music made in the United States. It was Bob Dylan, for example, who taught him the importance of lyrics and storytelling in music, and it was American-based folk and blues and country music that he grew up listening to. It makes sense, then, that he should go all the way over to the other side of the world to LA to record his new single Fool For Love with producer Tom Biller. “To just be over there and feel like you're in that kind of space, you know, with that sort of energy – that inspires me to write,” Lane explains. “And a good kind of vibe like that is good for recording.”

Plus, it meant he got to play the Americana festival in Nashville, a city-based festival dedicated to American roots and alternative country music that takes place in venues all over town. “I saw a lot of my heroes,” Lane says, and he starts listing them. “Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Booker T Jones – you know the keys player from Green Onions? A bloke named Darrell Scott. John Hiatt. Young artists like Brandi Carlile, Justin Townes Earle…”

He says he found US to be refreshingly friendly, especially to Australians. “They're so excited that you've come from the other side of the world, so you've just got people inviting you to stay in their homes and drive you around,” says Lane. “Even if they don't know who you are at all you kind of feel a bit like a celebrity or something.

“The first time I went to America, I sort of had this view that they'd be loud and obnoxious and arrogant and rude,” he continues. “And I think that's possibly what Australians sound like when they're on their own, backpacking through America… When I do hear a loud, obnoxious person in America, it often is an Australian.”

At the moment, however, Lane is home in Australia, playing support for longtime UK muso Billy Bragg. Bragg is touring a retrospective of his own 14-year solo career as well as some of the Mermaid Avenue recordings, created in collaboration with Wilco out of unrecorded Woody Guthrie lyrics. As a result, it's a mature sort of tour, and Bragg's crew is a close-knit, well-established one who have already worked together on a number of tours.

Lane, it seems, is the new kid. “You come in there and you're the little young guy, so it's kinda like joining the footy team,” Lane tells. “You sort of have to prove yourself a little bit at the beginning.” Also, it turns out Bragg doesn't exactly have the same idea of a good night out that Lane does. “I invited [Bragg] out to Karaoke Bar after the Canberra show and he politely declined,” Lane admits.

Lane has been pretty much non-stop for the past two years or so, and he'll remain so until further notice. “I sort of officially have no home anymore, and kind of have officially got addicted to that idea, too,” he says. “It's not so much on the run, but it's like, when you're on the move, it's kinda really refreshing. You know, you've got a reason to get out of bed.”

The day after he finishes up on the tour with Billy Bragg, Lane will begin an epic run of his own solo shows, touring the newly recorded Fool For Love around Australia. “It'll be a little bit different solo,” Lane says of the single. “I don't know if you've heard it – it's pretty big production. There's a lot of instrumentation in there.” So, in lieu of a band, Lane plans to improvise. And to get the song over the line, he's going to need the audience to get involved in the proceedings.  “Trying to get people's feet and hands as the percussion,” Lane says. “And then trying to get them to be the gospel backing choir – that has proved a little more difficult.”