Jordan Whitmore Me or Us
Jordan Whitmore has a new EP Me or Us releasing on October 16, a collection of songs that tell the story of a marriage dissolving, the inevitable feelings, and the aftermath and in the end, acceptance. Americana Highways is premiering the EP. Music can be a way to process experiences, and this EP does just that, in a way that is widely relatable for others going through a similar ordeal, and ultimately learning to accept the change that wasn’t part of the plan. The songs are emotionally resonant and moving. We had a chance to chat with Jordan briefly about the EP and the songs. The EP premiere appears just beneath the interview.
Americana Highways: What inspired you to write the songs on this EP overall? Was there a defining moment that was the impetus for you to begin working on it, or did it happen more organically?
Jordan Whitmore: The inspiration was pretty specific for this project. I was processing the end of my marriage, which was something I certainly never saw coming, and writing songs has always been how I make sense of things I don’t quite know what to do with yet.
I didn’t set out to make an EP about it. The songs came first, pretty organically, as I was living through different parts of that experience. At a certain point, though, I realized there was a story being told among them, and I felt like some of those songs needed to be shared and needed to live together on one project.
Part of that was for me, but a big part of it was realizing I’m obviously not the only person who has gone through betrayal or watched the life they thought they were going to have change completely. One of the most powerful things music has done for me is find me at exactly the right moment and make me feel understood. I think that’s ultimately why I wanted to put these songs out. They won’t be for everyone, but I hope they find the people who need them.
AH: How long did it take to pen the songs on the EP?
JW: The songs actually span a pretty wide stretch of time. A couple of them were written earlier in the journey, and then several came within a matter of months near the end of my marriage. Once I started looking at them together, I realized those earlier songs belonged because they helped tell the whole story.
There’s almost a timeline to the EP. You can hear the questions and the trying and the holding on, and then eventually you get to the point where there’s nothing left to fix or figure out. You just have to let go. So even though the songs weren’t all written at the same time, they ended up capturing different snapshots of the same story.
AH: What do you think are the key themes or common threads among the songs on the record?
JW: There’s obviously heartbreak running through the whole record, but I think it’s really about what happens when something you believed was solid suddenly isn’t. There’s betrayal, doubt, shock, trying to reconcile the person and the relationship you thought you knew with what you now know to be true. There’s also that instinct to fight for what’s left, even while you’re questioning whether there’s anything left to fight for.
And then there’s grief, not only for the relationship itself, but for the future you thought you were going to have. I think that can be one of the hardest parts of an ending. You’re grieving things that never even got the chance to happen.
By the end, though, there’s surrender. Not necessarily because everything suddenly makes sense or doesn’t hurt anymore, but because sometimes accepting what you cannot change is the only way forward. That arc from holding on to finally letting go is probably the biggest thread connecting all six songs.
AH: What was the studio session (or sessions) and recording process like for this album? Any great stories from the studio? What kind of vibe did you aim for overall?
JW: Even though the material was heavy, the studio has always been my happy place. I’ve recorded with a lot of these guys before, and they knew what I had been going through and were very much in my corner. So somehow we were making a record about one of the hardest periods of my life while also eating tacos, laughing a lot, and having a genuinely great time making music together.
There were definitely moments when the weight of it caught up with me, especially when I went in to record final vocals. It’s one thing to write a song in the middle of something and another thing to stand at a microphone later and sing those words knowing how the story actually ended. Some of those vocals were emotional for me. Recording the EP felt creatively energizing and incredibly sad at the same time, and in a strange way, finishing those songs felt like one more act of letting go.
Musically, I wanted the production to serve the songs without sanding off all the rough edges. I love records where you can hear and feel the humans playing them, and Brian Douglas Phillips, who produced the EP, really understands that about me.
“Girl Afraid” may be my favorite surprise of the whole project. I wasn’t originally planning to record it, but Brian kept encouraging me to include it. Once we got into the studio, it completely came alive. It became this really fun piece of ear candy and probably the most improved player on the record. I’m very glad I listened to him on that one.
AH: If listeners can take away one thing from having heard this EP, what do you hope that is?
JW: Probably that feeling of “me too.”
My favorite songs are the ones where somebody says something in a way I haven’t been able to say myself, and a lyric just grabs me because I think, “Yes. That’s exactly what that feels like.” I hope there are moments like that on this record for people.
Maybe someone is right in the middle of heartbreak. Maybe they’re years removed from it. Maybe they love somebody who’s going through it. Whatever the circumstance, I hope something in these songs makes someone feel a little more understood and a little less alone.
And hopefully the music pleases their ears while it’s at it. 🙂
AH: How is this EP similar or different from your past releases?
JW: I’ve always written from my own life, so that part isn’t necessarily new, but this record feels more exposed than anything I’ve released before. It’s so specifically tied to the collapse of my marriage that there wasn’t really a way to hide behind the songs.
I do think going through all of that unlocked another level of honesty in me as a writer. Somewhere along the way, I stopped worrying quite as much about whether something was too vulnerable or too specific and started trusting that specificity is often what makes a song universal. The more truthful I can be about my own experience, the more chance there is that somebody else recognizes themselves in it.
It also opened the floodgates creatively. I’ve been writing more than I ever have, and I feel more inspired as a songwriter now than I have in a long time. So while Me or Us documents an ending, creatively it feels much more like the beginning of something for me.
AH: What is coming up next for you, Jordan?
JW: I’m definitely not slowing down. I just recorded a Christmas single that I’m planning to release in November, and I’ll be back in the studio this fall recording the next couple of songs, with plans to release new music early next year.
Mostly, I just want to keep writing, recording, playing shows, and following where all of this is taking me. I feel like I’ve found a new gear creatively over the last year, and I have a lot more songs I’m excited to share. So the short answer is: I’m going to keep going.
Thanks very much for chatting with us, Jordan! Here is the EP pre-save link for the music: https://ffm.to/meorusep
More information is available here on her website: https://www.jordanwhitmore.com/