Oliver Jordan, a singer-songwriter with a mental illness that plagued him nearly his entire life, is an enigma. His descent into darkness and depression becomes apparent when listening to his lo-fi album, Ten Suicidal Tunes. Using his then girlfriend's modified answering machine as a recording device, writing and recording on the spot, he cut all songs in a manic 24 hours — and with good reason. Being delusional, he began complaining about a troll living behind the soundhole of his acoustic guitar and ruining his performance by rambling on in disagreement over his songwriting abilities.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Oliver Jordan, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey Kamil, thanks for having me. I got the KISS Alive album when I was a kid and that really blew me away. That energy. I was eight years old and it made me want to bang and hit on things constantly. I'd broken a lot of stuff in the house so my mom finally gave in and bought a real drum kit. Well, suffice to say, our neighbors didn't approve.
Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
Too many to mention. But Townes Van Zandt is still one of the finest songwriters to have ever walked the earth, in my opinion. That realness in his music, it connects to your soul. If you have one, that is. I admire anyone who transforms their pain into power.
Your latest track is 'Pedestal'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
That song is kind of a love song. And I don't write love songs. But it came out that way. It's Murphy's Seventh Law: Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. It's about a girl I once knew. Life dealt her a bad hand.
Which skills have you gained that help you perform effectively as a musician?
Well, I started on drums, got my first guitar in my teens and played in obscure bands. But my only skill is that my mind is creative all the time. I use musical instruments just as tools to create what's already in my mind.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
It's mostly Alternative rock. Whatever that means nowadays. All these genres are confusing to me. And there's always a new one. I'll leave it to music journalists to decide what's what. But there are songs in almost all genres that I like. But if you made a song only using a computer and Autotune, I guess, I'll pass on that one.
Describe your creative process when you write new music.
I don't even think I'm the one writing a song. I feel more like an antenna. The song is already there. It's all subconscious and intuitive. Then, all of a sudden, you have a song and you don't know how you did it. Or if you can pull it off again.
What are your long term goals?
I just want to keep on making music. Also, I want to clone Johnny Cash someday. I have his harmonica, which he gave me at a concert. There's still DNA on it, so it could be done. No kidding.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
The effect of music is so very much more powerful and penetrating than is that of the other arts, for these others speak only of the shadow, but music of the essence, said old Schopenhauer. I concur.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
It's great to be an independent musician these days. Suddenly, people in Brazil stumble upon your song on the Internet. But it all comes with a downside. I wouldn't say rock is dead, but it's definitely on life support - almost killed by Autotune and Beat Detector. It's a shell of its former self.
What are your plans for the future?
I'm working on a new album, but it is in its infancy. Greetings from the mental hospital. That's the name of the album, not my current location. For now.