The one album Jenny Lewis wishes she wrote
Born in 1978, Jenny Lewis emerged into the limelight in the 1980s as a child star, appearing in shows such as The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Baywatch. Lewis also starred in various movies as a child, such as Pleasantville and The Wizard, before abandoning acting in favour of music in the late 1990s.
Alongside her then-boyfriend Blake Sennett and friends Pierre De Reeder and Dave Rock, Lewis formed Rilo Kiley, an indie rock band. Refusing to join if she couldn’t sing lead vocals, Lewis’ tenure in Rilo Kiley established her as a talented musician, leading her to pursue a successful solo career. After releasing four albums with Rilo Kiley, Lewis’ first solo endeavour was a collaboration with The Watson Twins for 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat. Further establishing her role in the music industry, Lewis released Acid Tongue in 2008, a project which featured collaborations with Elvis Costello, Jonathan Wilson, The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson and more.
Rilo Kiley disbanded after sharing their final album, Rkives, in 2013. Between many other musical projects, Lewis released the new wave-influenced solo record The Voyager in 2014 and On the Line in 2019, the latter of which was universally acclaimed. It featured contributions from significant stars like Beck and Ringo Starr, with production from Ryan Adams, who was exposed for sexual misconduct shortly before the album’s release, much to Lewis’ horror. In June 2023, she continued her creative streak with Joy’All, which was greatly influenced by country music, leading her to receive further acclaim from critics.
Lewis has clearly pulled influence from every corner of her musical orbit over the past few decades, creating an eclectic body of work. Offering a peek behind the curtain, the musician demonstrated a varied taste in music during a past interview with The Guardian, where she discussed the artists that shaped her, ranging from Liz Phair to De La Soul.
However, when asked to pick the one album she wishes she had written herself, Lewis selected a record from one of her contemporaries: Cass McCombs’ Wit’s End. The album was released in 2011 as his fifth full-length LP, noted for its beautiful, darkly sombre atmosphere. Discussing the album, Lewis explained, “This is the perfect folk record. The songs are so classic, and I really love his direct way of songwriting”.
She continued, “I’ve met Cass a couple of times out at this surf shop in Venice Beach called Mollusk. It’s a tiny little place where all these LA musicians get together; you can drink beer, sit on the floor, and watch these great improvisers riffing off one another. I saw Cass play there, and he was amazing. It all comes back to the songs: they are of such quality that I always want to hear what he has to say.”
Discover the album below.
