Jenny Mitchell On Album Number Four ‘Forest House’

Award-winning artist Jenny Mitchell has released her beautiful new album Forest House featuring the new single Little Less Lonely. This is the fourth album for the New Zealand born and Melbourne based singer songwriter and was created with ARIA and Golden Guitar award-winning producer Matt Fell. Receiving rave reviews and recorded in a temporary studio in a house in rural New Zealand, the twelve track album features Jenny’s previous singles, Where The Water’s Cold, Square & Plain, Heart Like a House and the heartwarming Sister (featuring her sisters, The Mitchell Twins) while listeners will find grit in Wives Who Wait and insight into Jenny’s country roots in No Cash, No Meal.

The NZ Best Country Artist winner and two-time Golden Guitar nominee recently announced her Australian Forest House headline tour for July with shows in Canberra, Bathurst, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle. Jenny talks to Hi Fi Way in more detail about the album and upcoming tour plans.

Congratulations on the album. You must be really stoked now that it’s finally out there for everyone to enjoy.
Yeah, it has been a bit of a wait, I recorded it at the end of 2023, so I’ve been holding on to it for a long time and it’s just awesome to be able to launch it while touring with Kasey Chambers, and then getting ready for my album tour. That’s really exciting.

Is it hard holding on to an album for so long as you would have already started thinking about the next group of songs you’re going to write?
Yeah, I think I tried to take a bit of a break from it after recording, otherwise you can over-listen to it or second-guess things. But I’ve had quite a big year, moving to Australia from New Zealand, so that kept me busy. I was touring a lot in New Zealand while preparing to make the move, which I had dreamed of for a long time. So it’s felt like part of the process, but now that people are actually listening to the songs, that’s really exciting.

How have you found the move to Australia?
I’m loving it. I’m in Melbourne at my place today, and I have lots of friends in music over here, which is nice. Over the last few months, while touring, I’ve been to every state, so I haven’t spent a lot of time in Melbourne yet. But I’ve loved playing shows and exploring,it’s been fun.

Is it about greater opportunities and more chances to play more regularly?
Yeah, I think so. The population of New Zealand is about the same as Melbourne alone, which is crazy. There are more festivals, more radio stations, and just a bigger music scene overall. Since I was young, I’ve been coming over for the Tamworth Country Music Festival nearly every year for thirteen years. Each time, I thought more about making the move and when the right time would be. I’ve always felt like I wanted to come here to make the most of touring, it’s a bigger country with more people, which helps.

After album number three, did it become clear what you wanted to do musically?
I think I’m always figuring that out, getting influenced by new things. But this album really reflects my country roots, songs like No Cash, No Meal are deeply rooted in that classic country feel. At the same time, there are folk-leaning songs as well. It feels like this album represents all the different influences I’ve had, from The Chicks to Norah Jones and everything in between.

There’s a whole raft of emotions on the album, did it feel almost like a purging of the soul?
Yeah, kind of. Songs like Daffodils, which is a duet with my dad, feel really personal and special. There are definitely a few songs that hit close to home for me. There are also collaborations on the album Heart Like a House is one of my favorites, written with Tami Nielsen, who’s a close collaborator and friend. So before we even got into the studio, there were special moments woven into this album.

The bio mentions how hard it was to find a house to record the album. Was that the biggest challenge in the process?
Yeah, probably. I really wanted to take recording out of the city, but I needed a place that could house my dad, my sister, my band, my producer, about ten people in total. It also had to meet certain acoustic needs, like ceiling height. Eventually, my producer and I found a place that worked, and it was such a rewarding experience. Being able to step away from daily life made a huge difference, if we were stuck on something, we could just step outside and walk through the native bush. It was incredible, definitely the most fulfilling recording experience I’ve had.

So it was pretty much eat, sleep, make music for weeks? You didn’t get sick of each other by the end?
I don’t think so! I love my band so much, they might have gotten sick of me, but I’d have been happy spending even more time together. Touring keeps us constantly on the move, so we rarely get to slow down and just hang out, share meals, and connect. This was a rare opportunity for that, and I didn’t get tired of them, can’t say for sure if they felt the same!

Do you think the surroundings influenced the album? Or the isolation, to some degree?
Definitely. There was no phone service, so we were completely disconnected from daily distractions. I felt much more relaxed than I have in traditional studio environments. Normally, in a studio, you book a specific time slot, but here, if we wanted to play after dinner or late into the night, we could. That flexibility let us experiment more, which is probably why there are so many different flavors and influences across the album, I was relaxed and open to trying new things.

How cool is that, though, to not have mobile phone reception? It just seems like bliss not having anyone ring you…
I honestly think everyone should do it for a week each year. I think I’d be a much better person if I did that.

Did you start to feel that excitement as the songs were taking shape? What was that energy like with the band seeing it all come together?
That is one of the best parts of having a career in music. I love playing live, it’s probably my favourite thing. But when you’ve had these songs that, for me, are usually just me and a guitar, that’s all I hear until we get into the studio or go on tour. When you hear the drums start, and then the mandolin comes in, it’s such a big moment for any songwriter. Nowadays, a lot of recording is done remotely, so you still get excited when hearing it through an email, but actually being there in person is something else. Seeing my mandolin player, Mikey, sitting right in front of me in the lounge while I was in the kitchen, playing in real time, that’s pretty special. I’m glad I got to be there and watch everything come to life.

Have you been blown away by the response from fans and music lovers in general?
Yeah, it’s been pretty crazy. The stats, the number of people listening and buying, have surpassed anything I’ve ever done before. I try not to get caught up in numbers, but when I’m on tour with Kasey, it’s been fascinating to see a spike in my listens the next day after a show. That tells me the music is really connecting with people, that they’re taking the time to find it, buy it, and listen. It’s been especially cool seeing reactions to a song called Sister. I’ve been getting messages from sisters of all ages about how they connect with it, and speaking to people after shows has been amazing. When something you love really resonates with others, that’s the best feeling, it’s what we’re all trying to do.

How much fun was touring with Kasey Chambers?
So much fun! I’m heading to Queensland tomorrow for the last three shows of thirty two, and I’m not sure what next week will feel like once it’s all over. Kasey has been such a huge inspiration for me. I always used to write in my bio, “If you like artists like Emmylou Harris or Kasey Chambers, you might like Jenny Mitchell.” She’s been such a musical influence. Now, I really feel part of their family, they’ve been so welcoming. I think that’s made my move to Australia easier because I haven’t felt lonely once. Kasey just loves touring, half the time she’s cooking a big meal for the band before we play. She’s incredible.
I think she still has such a big love for touring, even though she’s been doing it for her whole life. That’s really inspiring. If your leader is having fun, everyone else does too.

Are you planning your own tour around the country in the coming months?
Yes! In July, I’ve got my album release tour, heading back to a lot of places I played with Kasey, though not all thirty two! Then, I’m heading back to New Zealand for an album tour, and I’m playing the Gympie Muster, which I’ve never played before, so I’m excited for that. I’m planning to stay in Australia for quite a while, though I’m not sure for how long. There are lots of touring plans for next year, but for now, I’m focusing on July. This is my first headline tour as a local, so I’m excited.

Interview By Rob Lyon

Forest House is out now, get yours HERE

Tickets on sale HERE