Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Allie Jean
THE RELEASE
Hailing from a serene small town in North East Victoria, Allie Jean has unveiled her explosive debut single, 'Gasoline on Fire.' This electrifying track marks the opening shot from her highly anticipated debut album, 'This Drink is for the Hard Times.' With a unique sound that's unquestionably hers, the music exudes defiance, empowerment, and an unapologetic attitude. Growing up in rural and remote Australian locales, including the quaint town of Booleroo Centre in South Australia, has deeply rooted her in country life and country music.
'Gasoline on Fire' is a relentless anthem that boldly champions the idea that revenge is best served hot and refuses to bow down when someone's words cut too deep. While initially paying homage to the traditional elements of Country and Bluegrass, the track takes an audacious turn, revving up with gritty slide guitars and propulsive drums that crescendo into an anthemic country rock/pop classic when the chorus hits. Produced by the Australian Country Music heavyweight Matt Fell (known for his work with Shane Nicholson and Brad Cox) and masterfully mastered by William Bowden (notable for his contributions to artists like Gotye, The Church, and Silverchair), Allie Jean's music represents a fresh and formidable facet of the country music scene. 'Gasoline on Fire' embodies high-energy, revenge-fueled country grunge at its absolute finest, promising listeners an unforgettable musical experience that leaves a fiery mark.
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
It’s hard to go past Gillian Welsh, Kurt Cobain, Miranda Lambert and The Chicks (although that would require a few more faces carved into Mt Rushmore). Each of those inspired me in different ways, but what they all have/had in common was their authenticity as songwriters.
Were there any specific experiences or events in your life that influenced the song's lyrics?
The lyrics in ‘Gasoline on Fire’ are obviously about calling someone out when they’re trash taking you behind your back, usually because they feel slighted or badly done by you for whatever reason. The song goes further with a confrontation that we expect is going to result in someone getting their faced slapped, or a drink thrown in their face. As far as specific circumstances or events, which shaped the lyrics, I think as a woman you start being on the receiving end of rumors and innuendo from when you’ re a teenager, and you re kind of expected to go quietly, wait it out and hope that the gossip goes away sooner rather than later without too much damage being done. Because all women have had these experiences and can relate to feeling like their perceived behaviour or decisions have been unfairly portrayed. There’s been a few times that I wish I’d responded like the protagonist in the song so the lyrics are really about backing yourself in and I think that’s aspirational for me and hopefully other women as well.
Can you share any interesting anecdotes about the song's development with your co-writers or producers?
We (Jase-co songwriter and I) wrote the album, which initially took about 12 months of solid writing and demoing. We then made the hard decision to throw out half of it and start again because the songs were getting so much better the more things progressed. I think I really started to find my voice and what I wanted the album to say. We re wrote the last half in about 6 months and ‘Gasoline on Fire’ was the very last song we wrote for the album. We wrote the chorus first and then spent ages trying to get the verses and arrangement down. A few days before flying to Tasmania to record with Matt Fell (Producer) we went back to Gasoline, because we wanted everything as good as we could get them, and made some pretty sweeping changes to the arrangement and the music. When we finally recorded it the arrangement stayed pretty much the same except the songs outro, which really came from Matt. When we finished recording the album, we were at the airport for our flight and Matt sent through the initial mix of Gasoline on Fire. We took it in turns to listen to it on these cheap iPhone headphones and were just blown away. It felt like capturing lightning in a bottle!
What was the biggest takeaway or lesson you learned while creating this song?
I think the biggest thing was to be well rehearsed, know the song inside and out, and to trust your own intuition about how you re feeling about a song after you hear it played back. We’d decided from the outset that we wouldn’t be afraid to have an open dialogue with Matt when we recorded the album, and to not leave any idea or suggestion at least unspoken. We were lucky in that Matt was more than happy to listen to ideas and really receptive to suggestions. He doesn’t spend ages making up his mind, or trying to talk you out of something-Matt’s all about the song and so quickly weighs things up, clarifies, then gets straight back in on the song. Every time I listen to that song, or any from the album, I know that there s nothing I wish we’d added. Every idea was put on the table, and nothing was left unspoken.
How has your recent growth as an artist influenced the direction of your future work?
I think it’s always a big thing putting your music out for public audience. I have no qualms with ‘Gasoline on Fire’ being in the public area because everything it is, is 100% authentic. I think you can only write songs that are meaningful and authentic. I can’t write songs about siting around drinking and feeling sorry for myself, because I’ve broken up with someone, or that kind of thing where the protagonist of the song is some kind of victim, because that just isn’t me. I think the greatest test is that of your connection to the song every time you hear it, or every time you are fortunate enough to get to talk about it. It reinforces that you really can’t waste your time on anything that is not 100% authentic, or that doesn’t reflect who you are as a person or an artist, and ultimately what you’re trying to say.
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