Weyes Blood’s favourite Joni Mitchell album
Natalie Mering, more widely known as Weyes Blood, is one of the most enchanting and exciting voices in contemporary music. Weaving church and chamber influences into ethereal soundscapes, she tells tales of modern dating and movie-going with unparalleled singularity. Mering builds worlds with strings and strums, enhancing them with her visual artistry. But before there was Weyes Blood, there was Joni Mitchell.
Mitchell may never have veered into the baroque stylings favoured by Weyes Blood, but that doesn’t mean the folk legend hasn’t had an effect on Mering. Mitchell’s influence seems to transcend genres and generations, paving the way for women with guitars to tell tales of life, love and loss.
Mering may have found her start in noise music, but she also harboured an early love for Mitchell, whom she discovered courtesy of her mother. Picking out some of her favourite albums during a conversation with Tidal, she named Mitchell’s sixth studio record Court and Spark.
“That was played at my house when I was a child all throughout my young years,” Mering shared. “That was an earworm to my life my mom, who was obsessed with Joni. She’s fucking brilliant.” Mering and her mother aren’t alone in this opinion; Mitchell is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time – and for good reason.
Released in 1974, Court and Spark would become one of Mitchell’s most well-known and well-loved offerings. Further proving Mitchell’s lyrical mastery after the mammoth success of Blue just a few years earlier, the record saw the songwriter return to themes of freedom, romance, and trust. It even nursed Stevie Nicks through her failing relationship with Lindsey Buckingham.
A masterclass in songwriting, but with an inextricable homeliness and familiarity, it’s easy to see why Mering favoured the record, particularly if it was often revisited by her mother in her youth. It’s a gorgeous collection of tracks that would stay with Mering through her noise era and through the inception of Weyes Blood, maintaining its place as a favourite well into her adulthood.
As she’s forged her own way as an artist, she’s never really delved into the jazzy stylings of Court and Spark, but Mitchell’s influence can still be felt in her expertly crafted lyrics and soft stylings. Both of them are all-encompassing artists in their own right, committed to their craft and creativity and inspiring others in turn.
Revisit the title track from Court and Spark, Weyes Blood’s favourite Joni Mitchell album, below.
