Jordan Merrick and his band Fugitive & The Vagabond are set to tour, releasing the first single off their debut album ‘Novella’.
The single comes just nine months after the release of the group's EP ‘The Lonesome’. “It's crazy,” Jordan says. “We started planning the album right after the release of the EP. It’s happening so quickly it’s crazy, it feels great though; we have worked hard and yeah, it's crazy!"
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The work involved with their first album was quite a memorable experience. "Recording the album was just a fantastic experience. There was so much planning involved and to see the songs being built was just fantastic. We recorded the album in one week. People couldn't believe we had done it. We worked tirelessly day to night for that week.”
The first single, 'Talking City Blues', is a song about maintaining your dreams. “It describes the 9-5 life and how in school you are taught to forget your dreams and focus on getting a job working 9-5. I’m doing the opposite of that by focusing on my dream. The song is a release from everyday life. It expresses what the rest of the album is like."
Jordan's music is poetic and gained him nominations recently for Emerging Artist Of The Year and Song Of The Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards. He is also touted by industry experts as one the country's best, young songwriters. The recognition is not lost on Jordan. “It’s unbelievable, one thing I do is write for me, it’s scary to write what you feel, but if it feels right go with it, it's very humbling to gain this kind of recognition. I'm so thankful.”
Jordan's style of music writing evolved after a change of perspective he gained during high school. "It all started in high school; I was into heavy metal [but] the style was all out of whack. I was 16 when I discovered Bob Dylan. It changed my perspective, it took me back the way the music hits you. It was incredible.”
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The upcoming east-coast tour will consist of a 50/50 split between solo and band shows. “The solo shows are more intimate, I can really connect with the audience where the feelings of the songs resonate,” Jordan says. “The five-piece-band shows are also good. The energy is completely different, I can still connect with the audience, the solo shows are just more personal.”
Jordan performed at the recent ‘Bring Them Here: Sounds For Change' show, an event in Brisbane that highlighted the current issues facing refugees. It's a topic Jordan is passionate about. “I've always been supportive of refugees. People flee simply because they have too, if I had to flee Australia for whatever reason I'd hope other counties would take me in with open doors. We are a country built on multiculturalism; it's the least we can do to help out fellow humans.”
When asked about his future plans, Jordan replied with a voice full of enthusiasm. “World domination! The plan is to release the album, expand into national gigs and play festivals. Basically just getting the music into as many ears as possible.”
Fugitive & The Vagabond Tour Dates
Sun 3 Jul - The Milk Factory (Brisbane)Sat 9 Jul - Villa Noosa (Sunshine Coast)
Jordan Merrick Solo Tour Dates
Fri 29 Jul - The Yarra Hotel (Melbourne)Sat 30 Jul - The Old Bar (Melbourne)
Thu 4 Aug - The Junk Bar (Brisbane)
