A few weeks ago our writer Lauren White sat down with Jordan Langley to discuss his plans for 2025 and his musical background. This is what he said...
1. Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got started?
I’ve grown up in a very creative and musical family and so there was often music on in the house or in the car on a long journey and as a kid I always really enjoyed singing along to my favourite songs purely for the fun of it. Though I’ve now come to realise just how much I love the way music can take you to another place and how much it can influence the way you are feeling. It’s only in the last three to four years though that I began taking it more seriously and really started to work on my technique and now try to sing as often as I can. Singing and writing my own songs has now become my favourite way to express myself.
2. How do you approach songwriting? Do you have a specific process or routine?
At a young age I was always more driven by melody when listening to my favourite songs but nowadays when I come to write my own, my aim is to try and make sure that each word and the message behind the songs are equally as strong as the tune that I’ve come up with. You’ve got a truly great song when you’re able to marry the two. Over the years I’ve just simply taken note of the little details that I like in the songs that I really believe in. I usually start with the lyrics first though or a feeling that I want to get off my chest and then sing those first few lines that I’ve jotted down over various chords and play around with some different melodies.
3. Which artists or bands have influenced you the most, and why?
Some of the bands that I love and take a lot of inspiration from are The Police, The Libertines, Blur and The Beatles. They’ve all written so many brilliant songs with a combination of thought provoking lyrics and some great hooks and melodies along with an energy, a distinct style and something that you want to be a part of as a fan of them. For me all of those things are equally as important, it’s not about being particularly well spoken or being the best musicians in the world. You also need to give the audience a reason to care about the art you’re making and they have each done that better than most. As well as these bands, I’ve also been listening to solo artists Bradley Simpson and Sam Fender a lot recently upon the release of their most recent albums that they both released in February this year. I’ve definitely taken a lot of inspiration from both and aim to capture some of the same raw emotion and magic in my own songs.
4. How do you feel your sound has evolved over time?
I feel that over the past year I’ve managed to start writing some songs that I’m really happy with that are conflicting in their message which might be one of a struggle or something more negative that I’m reflecting on, in comparison to the sound/ chord progression which has more of a hopeful and optimistic feel to it that I’m often drawn to in other songs that I like. I’m also really looking forward to trying out some different ideas with my live sound over the next few months, as I begin to play more gigs as a duo with a keys player and some with a full band.
5. Can you describe a particularly memorable moment so far?
In the summer of 2023 I started listening to Scottish Indie band The View a lot more after the release of their latest album ‘Exorcism of Youth’ which quickly became one of my favourites that year. Then only 7 months later in April 2024, I was asked to support lead singer and founding member of The View, Kyle Falconer following a trip out to his songwriting camp in Spain. I had such a great couple of weeks, six days spent over at the camp meeting a load of likeminded musicians and songwriters which was then followed by opening for Kyle the week later on his solo tour.
6. What’s your favourite song you’ve written and what makes it stand out to you?
My favourite song that I’ve written so far is ‘Only Time Will Tell’ which was my debut single that I released last year. I’m really proud of how it turned out and believe the guitar parts, piano and drums all compliment each other well. I’m also really fond of the lyrics and the overall sound which I think really captures how I was feeling at the time of writing the song. There’s also a number of hooks in it that I think make it a very catchy and memorable song that listeners have gone back to again and again.
7. What is next for you? Any upcoming projects?
I’m really looking forward to my next couple of gigs. The first in Camden at The Dublin Castle on 11th April and I’ll then be playing at A Stones Throw Festival in North Shields on 25th May. Along with various live dates I’ve got coming up, I’ve also began recording some new songs and will be releasing my Debut EP later this year along with my next single which will be out within the next few months!
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