Amanda Jordan has released her latest single to Canadian country radio. “Driving in the Dark” is a fun song whose inspiration came from a road trip to Nashville with her twin brother.
“The very first time I drove to Nashville to write, my twin brother was accompanying me and telling me about how he loved to drive at night and into the sunrise. From there, the song grew. I wanted to create a happy musical energy that captures the euphoria one feels when you first fall in love and begin experiencing the world together. It’s something you can listen to as you drive along on a warm summer evening.”
Amanda Jordan comes from a small town called Smiths Falls, just outside of Ottawa. Performing has been a constant throughout her life. It all started when she was just 1.5 years old when her caregiver overheard her singing a Patsy Cline song. By 5 years old, Amanda was performing at various events around the Ottawa area.
Flash forward to 2018, where Amanda won the opportunity to open for Brett Kissel at his show in Sudbury, and she was selected as one of the wildcard artists for the 2018 Boots & Hearts Music Festival Emerging Artist Showcase.
We had the chance to connect with Amanda to talk about her latest single, life in Nashville, and so much more.
Interview With Ottawa Country Artist Amanda Jordan
Front Porch: First of all, welcome to the Front Porch Amanda! We’re so happy to have you join us. Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?
Amanda Jordan: Thanks for having me! I’ve always loved music and grew up singing in competitions with my brother Thomas. When we were about five, he played the drums and I sang at little craft fairs and festivals. Music for me is like therapy. I love grabbing my guitar and playing or writing anytime of the day or night. I’m a recent grad of the singer songwriter program at Carleton University and last January I moved to Nashville to start writing and performing as much as I can. I work on The SongBird Tour bus owned by Trey Bruce and I get to perform alongside many other songwriters as we drive down Music Row telling the history and secret stories of the record labels and publishers.
FP: Your latest single and music video for “Driving in the Dark” has been released to the world. Congratulations! It’s a really great song with an interesting origin story. Tell us how a trip to Nashville helped inspire this song.
AJ: Thanks so much! It’s just been released to Canadian country music radio, so I’m very excited!
It’s a long drive to Nashville and I was making the trip with my twin brother Thomas. On the way, he was telling me that he really likes driving at night and watching the sunrise in the morning. That was where the hook “Driving in the Dark” derived from and the next day I brought the idea into the writing room with Jason Matthews and Phil Barton and the song became what it is today.
FP: You’re currently spending your time divided between Canada and Nashville. What’s the vibe like when you go to Nashville to write?
AJ: The songwriters are just great in Nashville. Everyone is so different in their approach and style, so there’s always something to learn and take away from a write. Nashville musicians and writers are so friendly here and competition is so high that everybody’s willing to help and pull each other up by their boots. We’re all in the same boat and everybody here has music in common. I really love it here.
FP: You mentioned that the inspiration for this single came to you while driving with your brother. Is that a typical source of inspiration? Where do you normally draw your inspiration from?
AJ: Inspiration for songs for me comes from a lot of different places and experiences. I’m always listening to conversations and I’m constantly putting ideas and hooks in my phone. My boyfriend and I recently had a party at his house and when everyone finally went home, he said, “We’re the last ones standing.”
That little phrase went right into my songwriting hook list on my phone. Maybe I’ll use it for my next song, maybe I never will. You never know when that will come in handy. Sometimes melodies will pop into my head and I record the melody on my voice memos. Sometimes my writing is more of a narrative and I want to tell a story with a message, other times like with “Driving In The Dark” it’s just an upbeat song to make you feel good.
FP: You’re set to have a busy end to 2019 with the promotion of “Driving in the Dark”. What’s next for you? What can we all expect for 2020 from you?
AJ: After I finish my tour in October – I’ll be playing shows in Ottawa on October 19th and Toronto on October 25th – I’ll start selecting the songs for the EP that I’m working on! I plan to release it in the summer of 2020.
FP: Looking forward to the EP! Now quickly – what are your top 5 songs that you’re currently obsessed with?
AJ: The top five songs right now that I’m listening to are:
- Some People Do – Old Dominion
- Prayed for you -Matt Stell
- Both- Ingrid Andress
- The Time I’ve Wasted- Lori McKenna
- Bluebird- Miranda Lambert
All great choices! Thanks so much for joining us, and we’re so excited to see what’s next for you.
Stream “Driving in the Dark” by Amanda Jordan
In country music, the Front Porch has long been a place of reflection. A place where you can look at the life you have inside that front door. A place where time almost seems to stand still, where you can get away. It’s also a place where you can go to observe the world as it passes by you. To think about your place out there beyond the driveway.
