Jenny Mitchell on the magic of her fourth album, Forest House

Where do you start with an artist like Jenny Mitchell? That is, how does one start writing about her? If I were to listen to all the tips and tricks for SEO and engagement and whatnot, I’d run this piece through AI and ask it to incorporate keywords. For a little while I tried to make this Sunburnt Country Music content SEO-friendly because that’s what a person is supposed to do these days, but it took longer than writing it the old-fashioned way and it wasn’t fun to do and it had no heart and what I’m really in the business of here – what the artists I cover are in the business of too – is heart. And soul. And stories. And magic.  Magic is where we should start with Jenny Mitchell. The Aotearoa New Zealand-born and raised country-folk artist has produced three albums of it – The Old Oak, Wildfires and Tug of War – and now adds a fourth, Forest House, that was named after the place where it was created, and that’s a story she tells me in this interview in which we also talk about her lengthy Australian tour with Kasey Chambers; about her musical father and sisters; about creating a song for her mother that appears on the album. About Mitchell being the den mother to her band as they assembled in the forest house. Or, as I see it, Mitchell creating the circumstances for this glorious album to arise.  Magic is not so much baked into Forest House as it is part of Mitchell’s fabric. Her voice – that voice! – comes from a place beyond this planet and her songs are right there to meet it. Anyone who has seen her perform live knows that she is an extraordinary artist who is both ethereal and grounded. That’s what comes across on Forest House too – there’s the growly, gutsy part of her and the part that floats above and around us all.  Magic is what AI can’t make. This piece of writing may not be magic – it’s not actually designed to be – but AI didn’t make it because I couldn’t possibly tell you what I want to tell you about Jenny Mitchell if I used AI for it. AI certainly can’t make her music. It can’t be her live on stage. If you need an anti-AI argument just go to her upcoming shows and you’ll see it there onstage. Yes, that’s a little bit of promotion for those shows. I can do that because I’m in charge of this piece of writing, and this platform, and I’ve interviewed Mitchell again – we’ve had a few chats now – because you should know about her if you don’t already, and you should really go and see her live. Right after you’ve listened to Forest House on repeat. Because magic is invisible and intangible yet it makes life so much better, and she has it. Listen to Forest House on Apple Music Listen to Forest House on Spotify For more Sunburnt Country Music: Instagram Facebook  YouTube website  Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.