Easy-going and familiar, “Something Different” by Texan singer/songwriter Jordan Whitmore encapsulates the transitional period of following your instinct and starting fresh.
“Something Different” – Jordan Whitmore
It’s a common thing to feel like we’re trapped, especially in a job that may not be as productive as we hope. The pushing and pulling of heart and head can leave us tangled in a rut, the decision to follow our instinct or follow what’s comfortable being one that can only be made individually. In many cases, the most refreshing thing to do is to just go ahead and take the leap and not think too much about it. Jump into the car, roll the windows down, and drive off into the sun.
Oh I see the contrast, I notice the pull
The future and the present are incompatible
It wasn’t a mismatch, it’s just a matter of time
And I feel a stirring in the middle of the night
‘Cause I’m ready for something
For something different
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Something Different,” the latest release by American singer/songwriter Jordan Whitmore (released May 3, 2019 via BlondeBoots). Taken from her forthcoming EP Good Things, the song marks a new chapter in Whitmore’s journey both musically and personally. It begins with steady strums of guitar that continue throughout, Whitmore’s country-leaning vocals bouncing alongside. There’s a touch of heartland rock n roll mixed with pop catchiness, making it all in all feel-good and familiar.
“I was feeling kind of restless in my life like I was just standing still and needed to move somewhere,” Jordan Whitmore tells Atwood Magazine. “I was at a job working for a boss that I loved but was finding myself wishing I was at home writing songs when I was at work. Ultimately, I decided that this place that had served me for a season of my life was now something that had me stuck, so I decided to resign from my job (with my boss’ full support because she’s awesome) and focus on music full-time again. It was a liberating decision that I’m so glad I made.”
The structure of the song is simple but it’s effective when each line holds poignancy, whether through introducing a relatable picture or reminding us of common words of wisdom. ‘But just ‘cause it ain’t wrong don’t make it right’ she states with sing-song certainty for when current routines may be treating us fine but they’re not, deep down, what we set out to do. In the second verse, the pace having picked up behind her, she continues: ‘It wasn’t a mismatch, it’s just a matter of time’. The battle between future prospects and the present being more of a fun partnership that helps create life’s adventures, rather than the scary situation of anxiousness that it may initially seem. Then she ponders, with conversational and motivational tones, ‘Maybe I’m just restless, maybe it’s too soon/ But how can you really know if you’re too afraid to move.’ Lyrically, nighttime is used as the time when thoughts of change are amounting into an urge to take action. The middle of the night, after all, is when personal things seem to become clearer- When you’re seemingly alone surrounded by magic and the endless possibilities of what a new day could hold. But musically the song is more representative of daytime.
I’ve been here a while now,
I’ve worked out the kinks
I’ve settled in real good,
I’ve been accommodating
But just ‘cause it’s wrong
don’t make it right
And I feel a stirring
in the middle of the night
‘Cause I’m ready for something
For something different
“Something Different” has the essence of moving forward in a car with the windows down, sunlight illuminating your vision and a breeze high-fiving the skin, which is appropriate when the first verse and chorus were imagined during a solitary drive. “I start songs in the car a lot because it’s one of the few times I’m alone with my thoughts,” Whitmore admits. “Thankfully, I was almost home when I started this one, so I went straight up to my music room, grabbed my guitar and wrote the second verse.” The song and its EP are about transition and the heavy emotions of challenges, time, and love. It also involves a bolder and broader relationship with making music, the several years she’s had off forming a realisation of the influences that really define her.
Whitmore, who’s released five records thus far, had solidified her career in Austin but left a few years ago to relocate to the small town of Granbury. “Moving cities is hard, no matter the reason, but this was an especially challenging season for me on many levels,” she tells Atwood Magazine. “I actually took a couple years’ hiatus from my music, and I think what you hear musically on these songs is me coming through that season to the other side.”
If Good Things is a collection of moments then “Something Different” pinpoints that state of mind when making an exciting change. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a phase where you wish you had taken another route, maybe embraced a former opportunity instead of letting it pass. With “Something Different” Jordan Whitmore comfortingly suggests that it’s never too late. If there’s optimism in your heart, let that be what guides you forward.
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? © Heather Scott (Royal Lune Photo)
