Interview with Jessica Lea Mayfield

Joining the Annuals and What Laura Says, Jessica Lea Mayfield will be arriving in town for what will be the first of the tour’s 30+ dates, playing the Varsity Theater on Jan. 20. Through working with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach—Auerbach having produced her With Blasphemy So Heartfelt album and Mayfield having appeared on the band’s Attack and Release—Mayfield has become ingrained within Ohio’s musical environment, but don’t tell her that she’s just another female singer/songwriter. Recently Culture Bully’s Jon Behm caught up with Mayfield for a few questions, the singer remarking on how she hates comparisons, how her music has been received overseas, and “coming into her own as a musician.”

Jon Behm: As someone who got an early start to performing music (at age eight with your family’s band One Way Rider) how has the experience of growing up in a band informed your current songwriting?

Jessica Lea Mayfield: Well, we played bluegrass, and I feel like even though I don’t play bluegrass, my songwriting has a lot of bluegrass undertones for sure.

JB: Do you feel like you have now “fully come into your own” as an independent musician?

JLM: I don’t think that’s possible for anyone. I know people in there 30′s who probably wouldn’t say they’ve come into there own as a musician. I’m always seeing things with different views, and trying to get better and more creative with every opportunity to do so.

JB: The name of your album implies something of a spiritual rebellion: how has spirituality factored into your songwriting?

JLM: When I was young I had my religious suspicions, I had always thought the idea was ridiculous. I remember when I was a kid, my cat died. And the vet gave me this letter that said my cat was in heaven sitting on rainbow. My thought was “bullshit” on a similar note, I always wrote Santa mean letters, like “write me back if you exist, jerk” but as with anything, if it influences my life, it influences my songwriting. Interesting fact about me, my two favorite words in sequence are “God” and “Damn”

JB: How did you end up hooking up with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to sing on Attack and Release as well as to produce your new album, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt?

JLM: Well about three years ago Dan posted a Craigslist ad saying “two dudes startin’ a band, man” they were looking for a bassist… I auditioned, and then I ended up hanging out afterwords and playing some of my original songs for big D. (his Akron nickname) anyways we decided to start working on my album. Sadly The Black Keys decided they didn’t want me in there band, not because they didn’t like my bass playing, but because they are sexist.

JB: You have been getting very favorable reviews lately, comparing you to some of America’s best: Neko, Jolie Holland, Gillian Welch, etc. How do you feel about this?

JLM: I hate it. I want to be something unique, the Gillian one is nice. But who the fuck is Jolie Holland & Neko? Comparisons hurt, especially when it’s not even people that have influenced you… I mean that’s basically like saying “everything about you reminds me of someone else” it’s MY music, you know? It’s very personal to me. It’s like incentive to give up when people talk about you like that… there was an old man in Amsterdam however who told me I reminded him of a female Townes Van Zandt. That was a favorable comparison.

JB: You are currently on tour right now in the UK—how has your reception been there?

JLM: The audiences seem to be into it. But merch sales aren’t like they are at home. Aside from that, it hasn’t been much different from my American dates opening for The Black Keys.

JB: Any holiday plans for when you get home?

JLM: Well, of course. Hanging out with my rents. My dad collects guns, and next time I visit I get to shoot the 44 magnum! I’ve been pretty excited about that.