Michael ‘Monty’ Tramonte has a short and sweet chat with Jordan Laser about which artist she would slam a bottle of whisky with, how she gets out of a creative slump and which she would rather fight – a bear or a crocodile.
In light of her latest release 100 Days of Solitude, Jordan Laser speaks to Delta Rigg’s Monty in a sweet artist on artist interview (couples edition).
Laser’s latest track is ethereal, soothing and rings true to the collective human experience with lockdowns and COVID restrictions. 100 Days of Solitude is a sweet reprieve from the current cultural landscape, with soft vocals and warm melodies, Laser whisks us up, high above the clouds to a place filled with complete and utter peace, and it’s fucking delicious.
MONTY: If you could have written any song in the world, what would It be?
JORDAN LASER: Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
MONTY: If you could ask Kate Bush one question, what would It be?
JORDAN LASER: Was it hard running up that hill?
MONTY: If you could sit down and slam a bottle of whiskey with any artist in the world, who would it be?
JORDAN LASER: Leonard Cohen, but it’s too late now.
MONTY: If you could steal any artist’s talent, what would it be?
JORDAN LASER: Lana Del Rey’s gift for melody or Bjork’s voice.
MONTY: What do you love about expressing yourself through songs? Is the process cathartic for you?
JORDAN LASER: I love being able to turn a painful experience into an act of creativity. It’s always made me feel stronger than I am, so if I’m going through something it’s never completely hopeless because I know I’ll be able to use it for a song. Having a creative outlet of any sort is just like having this little friend with you everywhere you go. You’re never alone.
MONTY: What do you do when you’re feeling stuck creatively?
JORDAN LASER: I try to get out of my own way, as in out of my head, because often the stuckness is the result of bad self-talk and just fear in general…fear of being shit, fear of ideas not coming, fear of no one liking it (including me). Things that help me shift that are painting, listening to inspiring podcasts & napping.
MONTY: Do you find it hard to write songs when everything is going well for you in life?
JORDAN LASER: I definitely feel less motivated when I’m happy, unfortunately. But I don’t want to subscribe to this popular myth that being miserable is more conducive to creativity. I think good work can come no matter how you’re feeling, as long as you show up.
MONTY: What’s the last live show you went to?
JORDAN LASER: You! Delta Riggs at The Lansdowne…it was the first night of the end of Lockdown restrictions in Sydney.
MONTY: What’s one of your earliest memories of music?
JORDAN LASER: When I was 6 my family did a big trip around the world for half a year and my parents tried to home-school me, which didn’t work, so my Dad pulled out the guitar a lot to substitute for lessons not going to plan. We would sing Paul Kelly songs together and then talk about the meaning behind the lyrics. Everything’s Turning To White – I think that was the first cover I ever learnt, and it’s about a group of fishermen who find a dead woman’s body in a river on a camping trip and don’t report it. Well done Dad.
MONTY: Would you rather fight a bear or a crocodile?
JORDAN LASER: That is such a dumb boy question.
MONTY: You didn’t answer it though?
JORDAN LASER: A Crocobear
MONTY: And finally, would you like to do a collab sometime? We could call it Michael Jordan
JORDAN LASER: We collab everyday. And that’s very funny. No.
100 Days of Solitude is available on all streaming services – give it a listen!
Jordan Laser photos supplied.
