“You can go — well, of course you can/ But I swear/ That these words will stand/ Up to you/ And your grandest plan/ You can’t come back/ You can’t come back…”
The first time I heard Jill Andrews’ voice, I was lying in bed, sick from the stomach flu, and my head was pounding. Her song, “Lonely Anywhere,” was playing on the everybodyfields’ MySpace page, a band I had heard about from a close friend who knew my love of female vocalists. I ended up spending a good hour or two, headache be damned, listening to every everybodyfields song I could find that night…every one that Andrews sang on, that is.
Since splitting from the everybodyfields in 2009, Andrews has launched her career as a solo artist, and she’s held little back. Her self-titled EP features six beautiful tracks, and all of them are fine examples of her talents, which were on display in St. Louis this week as Andrews performed as a duo with Josh Oliver, also formerly of the everybodyfields.
As a live performer, Andrews takes her time. Her songs live that way — they need their space. Their words and messages are often brief, but they won’t hit you the right way unless they’re carefully delivered to your ears. For example, watch the video below of “These Words” and notice how delicate Andrews is with every word she sings. That’s the magic of Jill Andrews.
Her 40-minute set was a flawless gift to everyone in the room. And just as “Lonely Anywhere” introduced me to the voice of Jill Andrews, it also serves as my final thought for this mini-review: If you haven’t heard this song, please watch the video that I recorded of it below. If you like it, find Jill’s albums, go see her on tour, and spread the word about her music.
Don’t let another day go by without Jill Andrews’ songs in your life.