Photo by Shaun Menary
This month local singer/songwriter, Jillian Edwards, releases her third album, Daydream. Her previous album, Headfirst, had the songwriting savvy to knock The Civil Wars' Barton Hollow from its #1 spot on iTunes singer/songwriter chart. Texas-born Edwards has been making msuic all her life and doing so in Nashville since 2011. We sat down with Jillian to find out more about her new record, about newly married life and working with writers like Ellie Holcomb and Amy Stroup.
NL: You've toured with Josh Garrels, Ben Rector, David Ramirez and The Civil Warsany memorable stories?
JE: I went to Baylor University and played shows all throughout college. Waco had one music venue and it was a coffee shop called Common Grounds and I was always looking for opportunities to play. Ben Rector was someone who early on was very open to writing and encouraging me; he was always kind enough to let me open for him. I played a show with The Civil Wars in Waco when they were really taking off that was a really fun and special experience. I definitely admire Joy as a person and a writer.
See more about all the new music out this month!
Tell us about who you worked with to make Daydream a reality.
The producer is Joe Causey and he is one of those people who is just brilliant at every instrument. It's like "How do you know this much?" He can play everything, and was really a joy to work with. He also co-wrote "Sink My Feet" which is the single I just released. Great writer. Great producer. Even better person. I think the world of him.
I wrote "Run Fast" with Amy Stroup. She is great! I'm a big fan of her as a person, writer and artist. We've written together a few times and this song is the one we used for the record. It just seemed like a good fit, going with the "hopeful, looking ahead" theme I was describing.
You've said this album is a reflection of the newest chapter of your lifedescribe what that means.
I always hope to be moving forward with every new release, another step forward. I'm learning more and more of what I sound like each time, so in this record a lot of the songs have hope of a future. My lyrics brush up between prayers or relationships. I just got married last December so that plays into everything, of course!
"Texas and Tennessee have some similarities. You have that southern hospitality and charm but also this major creative ground with artists of all sorts. Nashville really is my dream city. It's ideal and I love living here." Jillian Edwards
Do you have a favorite lyric from the album?
When I wrote "Daydream," actually about 5-years ago, I was daydreaming and imagining the best world possible. For me loving someone and being loved by them ends up being "heaven." One of the lines is "dreaming of the days to come/when we will leave behindevery lost hope/we will lose the troubles in our mind." I think a lot of this record is identifying with loving someone, and it's a glimpse of what heaven will be like.
You sing/perform and also write musicis there a role you identify with the most?
I like that questiontotally both. I wouldn't be as passionate as a performer if I didn't care so much about what I was saying. So it goes together for me: writing and performing. I would still love singing and performing if it wasn't a song I wrote, but I think I love it more when it is something I created. In a way it's scarier because you're putting more of yourself out there, but that's such a thrill. I feel the most alive doing that.
You also sing in an indie-folk trio 'The Inlaws,” with your husband and brother-in-law. Tell us more about that project.
Will, Caleb and I are "The Inlaws." Caleb is a ridiculous writer. It is just so intimidating being in this family! Songs just come out of him. I think in the coming months we're going to get in the studio and record some stuff. Whenever we have downtime or we're not out on the road, it's a good little outlet for creativity. I'm going to run hard for my thing and they're running hard for their thing, but "The Inlaws" is something that will always be there.
What are your Nashville favorites? Shopping, eating, playing, seeing a show, date night, etc.
This is not a healthy option necessarily, but The Grilled Cheeserie food truck is unbelievable. On Sunday afternoons getting some tater tots and grilled cheese is so good. Also, Barbara's in Franklin is totally home cooking in an old house. Barbara owns it and her daughters and sisters. It's fried chicken and that kind of stuff. But I also love Burger Upso good.