Jade Bird Sets Fire to the Past and Pushes Through the Sadness to Find Peace
With a name like Jade Bird, the need for freedom is seemingly inevitable. But liberation hasn’t always come easy for the 26-year-old singer-songwriter. At times, Bird even unintentionally constructed her own cages, often avoiding big emotions and falling into a relationship that would eventually come to feel like “a living hell.”
However, just like her last name, Jade’s first name tells a tale of its own: the mineral jade is known to be incredibly tough. And while some may gauge “toughness” by how well one can resist pain or endure damage, Jade Bird is instead tapping into resilience through vulnerability – the purposeful interrogation of her once rebuffed feelings.
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Following the disquieting separation from her fiance in 2022, Jade Bird began constructing Burn the Hard Drive, an out-now EP filled front to back with songs – nay, stories – traversing the many grueling yet life-giving stages of grief. In the wake of the fire set by Bird, the hard drive has all but perished, and what’s left now are only ashes and aspirations for a boundless future.
“Elixirs have a long life and I really whack them pretty hard.“
SPIN checked in with the songstress to talk tour highs & lows, the gear that makes it work, album plans, and growing pains:
SPIN: Before we dive into the present, let’s rewind a little. It seems that your early songwriting kind of coincided with your parents’ separation. What role has divorce (or the dissolution of relationships in general) played in your music career and in your creativity?
Jade Bird: I think being six when my parents split made me feel part of it in a lot of ways. I think I could see my parents as human beings with flaws instead of the idyllic place most sit in children’s lives at that age. This allowed me to learn some hard truths about love and heartbreak, and I think writing was the only way I could process it all. I started doing that at like 11, and it was a very complicated time hence some songs feeling a little “beyond my years” [laughs].
You’ve seemingly remained busy since the onset of your music career (school, performances, albums, tours, projects, partnerships, etc.). Where does this momentum come from? What drives you?
I’ve always been obscenely driven since I was small. I think the pursuit to be better at my craft, honestly. I wrote a song a day for a while as a teenager and just didn’t really feel good enough, let alone at the standard of my idols: Alanis, Sheryl Crow, Patti. The catharsis I feel when I’ve written something that feels truly like the best distillation of what I want to say is the greatest feeling in the world.
What has been your favorite part of the journey thus far?
Wow! There’s been so many career highlights, specific shows, moving to America and playing late night. My favorite part, though, has definitely been this year. I can make a record on my own terms while feeling so confident in my abilities. I worked so hard to feel this assured, you know? It’s a beautiful thing needing only those closest to you to like what you do, everything else is a bonus.
You just wrapped up your Open Up the Song Book tour. Tell us a little bit about how that went – some insights from the road. A day in the life of Jade on tour – what you do, what you eat, how you feel, how do you prepare, etc.?
I wake up, usually like a gremlin unhappy about daylight, shower, bundle into the car, read my book, get to the venue, soundcheck, remember I’ve forgotten to eat, have dinner, play the show, feel like everything is how it should be, bundle into the car, get to the Air BnB, repeat.
Favorite stops?
Evanston, IL and Sommerville, MA were unforgettable shows, such a special atmosphere.
So many things can go wrong on tour. What gear do you use to make things run more smoothly?
I’ve actually always kept it very simple. My guitar – a Taylor with Elixir Strings – my voice, and my songs. Because of that, I can travel anywhere and perform anytime easily, and there are very few technical things that can get in the way of a show.
Let’s talk about Burn the Hard Drive and “exploring the emotions before the rage.” What are some of those emotions? Aside from making/writing music, how else do you cope with these strong emotions?
Definitely sadness and acceptance. Adrianne Lenker said it best, “sadness is a gift.” I’m used to skipping over sadness out of a weird embedded pride, “stiff upper lip,” a British thing I think. This EP has allowed me to explore it and hold it, even the erased parts. Being more vulnerable has been so empowering. Telling my story as it is and was has helped me hugely.
What’s your favorite track from the EP? Which was the hardest to write/record emotionally?
“Burn the Hard Drive” was definitely the hardest. I finished that track after [my ex and I] had broken up and started it before, so I cried listening back to the chorus like “oh wow, this was all my subconscious and it all came true.” The bridge was such a closing chapter to write post break up. My favorite track is probably C’est La Vie. It’s one take and so raw and honest; I love it.
How does this EP differ from your previous works? In which ways is it the same?
It’s very different. I worked with Mura Masa who has his own style of production, and it felt like a collaboration in so many ways. Musically, he’s a genius and I got to write my story to his palette. It’s also the same as it’s my lyrical style and my words, no one in between.
You recently moved to Los Angeles. What has that been like? Is it what you expected, and in which ways has it encouraged or even stifled your creativity? Do you miss home?
I feel more at home here than I ever have. I found my friends, my dog has finally settled into her training – it’s taken me three years since Austin, Texas where I adopted her to get down the command “don’t kill!” [Laughs]. I’ve also fallen in love, so I feel boundless, joyful, and more creative than I have in my life so far. It was tough and now I’m in a good place, that’s something I don’t take for granted.
After about a decade in the industry, what’s something you can say for sure about its makeup? What has it taught you about yourself?
The industry! Wow. I don’t think the industry has taught me much about myself as I’ve always known exactly who I am for better or for worse. But things are changing more than they ever have, faster than they ever have. Releasing music for that long has taught me that time is a friend not an enemy and anything that is good will get better with it.
As the EP circulates and you wind down from tour, what’s next for Jade Bird?
I’m finally finished with my third album. Everything will be in preparation for that and I intend to have the most fun I’ve ever had with it. All the demons and all the joy will be coming out on this one.
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