The Space Between The Telephone Lines is one of most interesting albums from a singer/songwriter I have listened to in quite some time. And it was recorded in Nashville.
The English/Chinese vocal ensembles of ethnomusicologist Juliane Jones elegantly intertwine languages and cultures over a soundbed of acoustic driven indie folk-pop.
“Ethnomusicology and songwriting are similar in a lot of ways. Ethnography is really about description, observation, and interpretation. Songwriting is similar, but in writing songs the author can blend fact with fiction—it’s more flexible,” she says.
Oddly enough, I have a degree in Anthropology and had the opportunity to take an Ethnomusicology course. If I was still in academia, I might have taken that path…but back to Ms. Jones.
An album of cultural exchange, dissonance, and exploration, Juliane challenges herself to maintain continuity within Western pop conventions which results in an intriguing and fresh tracklist of songs.
“For me, answering big questions about music, culture, and life has always been a part of my songwriting. I’m always looking for new ways of understanding music, and I’ve always been interested in how writing music can be linked to individual biography and social history. I’m forever fascinated with that moment of creation, it always seems magical,” Juliane says.
Living in a world of intersections, Juliane is based in New York but has lived in 5 different locations internationally and on top of her fluency in Chinese and English, she also speaks French.
Grab your copy of The Space Between The Telephone Lines and allow Juliane’s beautiful voice to carry you into a positive space…even if you have no clue what she is saying.
