The Auckland Folk Festival earlier this year was an embarrassment of riches, with so many great Kiwi artists playing multiple sets, and I spent the weekend trying to soak in as much as possible. There is no doubt that one of the highlights was Jenny Mitchell, who with her sisters Nicola and Maegan, provided warm and emotional country music in a style which seemed very much at odds with her age. I was supposed to be seeing her play a house concert last month, but COVID got in the way, and I am now hoping against hope that she will be able to play Auckland in December. On that night she will be playing with Tami Neilson, a bona fide country legend, but until then we can satisfy ourselves by listening to this song, which was written together at an APRA Songhubs songwriting camp. It came out of a conversation regarding their own experiences, along with the work undertaken by Stuff journalist Alison Mau who investigated #metoo claims within the New Zealand music industry.
“The song is for my younger self, who put up with far too much out of fear that if I didn’t ‘play the game’ I might lose opportunities”, says Jenny. “It’s for my little sisters, who I hope to be able to guide and educate as they make their way through the music industry. It’s for the world in general, and any person who’s ever felt unsafe; inside the entertainment industry or not.”
It commences gently, creating the emotional feel and atmosphere I have come to expect from Jenny, where the listener falls into her world, where nothing else matters. The music may be gentle and restrained, but the lyrics are powerful, designed to resonate and to make people think. This is a song about my daughters, my wife, every woman. Tami takes over for the second verse, again keeping it mellow, but she has an edge of restrained power that lets everyone know it is taking all her effort to keep it sweet, as she wants to cry to the world. They combine on the chorus, but while they lift it slightly, there is still the emotional presence.
Tami kicks off the third verse, with Jenny coming in later, but it is at the bridge where they finally let loose some of the passion where it becomes gospel, as they are joined by Nicola, Maegan, Jenny’s father Ron Mitchell, as well as New Zealand artist Kaylee Bell, and Australian artist Fanny Lumsden. We get vocal gymnastics over the top of the choir, and one just knows this is going to be a massively extended singalong at gigs. It ends with Jenny totally unaccompanied singing the words, It’s trouble’s turn to lose. The song is packed full of warmth and empathy, emotion and atmosphere, with incredibly strong words. The music is gentle, with acoustic and electric guitars, brushed percussion and bass, providing iust the right amount of support, as we are drawn to the voices and the words. This is a siren call of passion which we all need to heed.
Rating: 10/10
