Jenny Lewis’ favourite country album: “It’s pretty magical”
Jenny Lewis burst onto the scene as a kid in the 1980s, showing up on TV hits like The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Baywatch. Although she also rocked the big screen in movies like Pleasantville and The Wizard, she shifted gears in the 1990s, swapping acting for music.
Teaming up with her then-boyfriend Blake Sennett and friends Pierre De Reeder and Dave Rock, Lewis founded Rilo Kiley, an indie rock band. However, she made it clear prior to kicking it off that she would only join if she got to belt out lead vocals. As a result, her time with Rilo Kiley showcased her musical prowess, setting her on the path to a successful solo career.
After dropping four albums with Rilo Kiley, Lewis kicked off her solo journey with a bang, teaming up with The Watson Twins for 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat. She further solidified her place in the music scene with Acid Tongue in 2008, collaborating with heavyweights like Elvis Costello, Jonathan Wilson, Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, and more.
Over the past few decades, Lewis has clearly drawn inspiration from a wide range of musical sources, resulting in a diverse body of work. Giving fans a glimpse into her musical tastes, she revealed a varied palette during a previous interview with Uncut, in which she shared some of her most cherished albums. This included Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball.
“This is a record that I didn’t really listen to at all when it first came out, but we’ve been putting it on in the house recently, and it’s just so beautiful,” she said. “We were trying to figure out, ‘Who’s that singing in the background? Like, who is that?’ Then, our friend came over and said, ‘Oh that’s Neil Young’. And once you hear him singing on the title track, which he also wrote, you can’t really unhear him. It’s pretty magical stuff.”
Released in 1995, Wrecking Ball marked a significant departure from Harris’ traditional country sound, incorporating elements of rock, folk, and alternative music. Produced by Daniel Lanois, known for his work with artists like U2 and Bob Dylan, the album featured a unique sonic landscape that blended atmospheric soundscapes with Harris’s emotive vocals.
On the subject of Dylan’s legendary artistry, Lewis also mentioned Dylan’s Gospel by The Brothers & Sisters of LA, released in 1969. “It’s just great song after great song, and to hear something exist in another musical realm and still work is really exciting,” Lewis explained. “And I don’t think these songs are necessarily from Bob’s Christian period, but they all really, really resonate with spirituality. Merry Clayton is one of the singers on the record and, you know, she’s a fucking legend.”
