Ahead of her stellar LP launch and live Sydney show, Jo Fabro reveals the top five albums that have influenced her songwriting.
Last week, we were gifted with an enticing sneak peek of Jo Fabro’s forthcoming album, Don’t Make A Liar Out of Me, which is slated for release on September 10, along with a live debut at The Great Club in Marrickville.
Now, as we catch up with the soulful songstress once again, she unveils the top five albums that have influenced her songwriting process throughout the years. Check out her favourites below.
1. The Beatles – White Album (1968)
“This album was on high rotation for me as a kid, and I still have my dad’s copy on vinyl today…I know it back to front and upside down and yet, when I started listening to it again as an adult, five or so years ago, It was like it was brand new. I started to notice the production, the layers, and the little minor melodies that lie underneath the sounds that sit out the front. It really made me think differently about production and putting an album together as a whole. And it’s got some of my all-time favourite Beatles tunes – Dear Prudence, Julia, I’m So Tired.”
2. Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
“In my book, Thom Yorke is one of the best singers that there has ever been…a totally unique, haunting sound. This album blew my mind when it came out. I hadn’t really heard anything like it at the time. As a teenager, it challenged my idea that a song had to be beautiful if it was to be lyrically meaningful. The whole album juxtaposes beauty and tragedy, noise and harmony. It still stands up today.”
3. Pops Staples – Don’t Lose This (2015)
“This album was on high rotation when I wrote a lot of my songs. It is a beautiful piece of work. It’s an interesting recording because it was released posthumously. The vocals were taken from a series of lost recordings made in the ’90s, and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco produced the album. It is a beautiful soul/gospel record with killer vocals. Mavis Staples is on there too. If you want to learn something about singing, with 100% emotion and honesty, you listen to the Staples singers.”
4. Stevie Wonder – Hotter Than July (1980)
“It is sort of ridiculous to me to pick just one Stevie Wonder album. I really want to put all of them. He has been such a huge influence to me, and to so many of the artists that I listen to. I don’t think you will find many artists in the soul/blues genre who don’t list him as an influence. I settled on this album just because the whole thing is a total vibe. All I Do, Do Like You…it’s all killer! The singing is the best, the music is a jam, you can’t be unhappy when you’re listening to it.”
5. Brittany Howard – Jaime (2019)
“Brittany Howard is a powerhouse. This is her first solo work, and it’s killer. The songs are great, but the thing I love most is the production. The sounds Howard uses, from the drums, to the vocal mics, to the guitar sounds, are all carefully chosen. A little left of the normal and totally amazing. It’s a beautiful piece of work.”
We absolutely can’t wait for you all to enjoy Jo Fabro’s upcoming album, Don’t Make A Liar Out of Me next Saturday, September 10. Be sure to catch the songstress performing her live debut of the record on release day, along with her stellar 12-piece backing band, at The Great Club in Marrickville. Grab your tickets here while you still can!
Fresh, funky and flawless, Don’t Make A Liar Out Of Me is a striking addition to Jo Fabro’s rapidly-expanding repertoire, and one you won’t want to miss. To pre-save the album, click here. For pre-orders on CD or vinyl, head on over to jofabro.com.
