Jess Nolan

When Jess Nolan began writing her third album at home in Nashville, she'd been on the move for years, balancing an acclaimed solo career with her work as a harmony-singing keyboardist for Jenny Lewis, Katie Pruitt, and Joy Oladokun. Living alone for the first time ever and looking to prioritize her own downtime, she began writing new songs that bridged the gap between intimacy and expansiveness. She'd already explored the softer, meditative side of her music with her previous record, '93. This new material was something different: darker, autumnal, nocturnal, and playful. It felt right to record the songs in the same place she'd written them, so Nolan turned her house into a makeshift studio and got to work. Joined by co-producer Megan McCormick and a small cast of bandmate and friends — nearly all of them female — she tracked the album in a matter of days, avoiding overdubs altogether and letting childlike curiosity lead the way. The result is an unfiltered view into Nolan's past and preset, with songs that turn personal details into something communal and cathartic.