Nashville up-and-coming artist Jordan Lindley is ready to level it up and bring his music to the masses! A charismatic alternative-indie artist known for his voracious creative style, Lindley works diligently to explode his career upward and onward.
We wanted to know more about Lindley — a bit of his story, his songwriting process, and his next big move.
With his second album entitled Maybe It’ll All Work Out released on August 23rd, Lindley sits down with Top Shelf to chat about his plans for years to come.
How did music come into your life?
- JL: Well, while no one in my family professionally did music, [but] it has always been present in my life. My grandparents sang incessantly, my uncle played in a band that I idolized as a kid, and my parents just adored music. Growing up, I was introduced to 90s grunge and that really was my springboard. I became simultaneously obsessed with Mötley Crüe and N*SYNC (I do. not. know. why…). My dad showed me a few chords when I was about 6 or so, I got my own guitar at age 8 and wrote my first song at 9 — “Almond Joy” (about my crush that had the last name “Almond”). The rest is obviously rock ’n roll history.
You’ve had quite the escalation in your career of late! Record deals and charting singles… in your solo career and side project, JONI. How does it all feel?
- I know! This year has really felt like a whirlwind. I’ve been in Nashville for almost 10 years now and I feel like the team I’ve built around me is finally in sync in a way that I hadn’t experienced before. [I’m] Feeling very, very grateful. CTM/Concord is loading me up with tons of new opportunities, the first JONI single came out on August 16th, and my new album (MIAWO) is back to radio as of the end of August.
Let’s talk ‘Maybe It’ll All Work Out’. I love the title! What’s the story behind it ?
- I think I was literally walking around my house, aimlessly, feeling really anxious and overwhelmed. I tend to overthink everything — big and small. I’m sure the therapy and journaling and stuff was a factor in this, but I remember being hit with the idea of “whatever you do or don’t do doesn’t matter; just choose and do something“. That can sound kind of nihilistic, but in that moment, it felt so freeing. Nothing is guaranteed: whether you do one specific thing or a different specific thing, we aren’t promised results. Maybe it’ll work out, maybe it won’t. But it isn’t dependent on a ‘wrong decision’ most of the time. Just do what feels good. A real glass-half-full approach (which I was NOT doing a lot of at that time). [laughs]
- The title became an important benchmark when writing and promoting the rest of the record. ‘Just try shit. It has just as much a chance at working out as it does crashing and burning.’ It made me feel hopeful for this record and for a lot of life stuff going on at that time.
The songs were created with the help of producers Jake Finch and Collin Pastore (boygenius, Lucy Dacus, Illuminati Hotties, Ashe, etc.). That’s high caliber!
- Definitely! I met Jake and Collin in 2018, and they have been a part of 99% of the songs I’ve released as a solo artist. They’re now two of my best friends in the whole world and we really have grown a lot together. [They’re] Hands down my favorite people to work with, as well as the most talented tall boys you’ll ever meet. They’ve been hugely influential on my sound evolving over the years. I owe a lot to them.
Tell us the process of writing lyrical content and music…
- Lyrics and melody have always come first for me. I try my best to take a situation or thought and break it down to its simplest form. I feel like that is where understanding and relating comes in — even if that simplest form is super specific, we apply it to ourselves. I want listening to my songs to feel like you’re hearing me tell you a story like I would in a conversation: there’s humor, there’s conflicting feelings, there’s change in perspective, etc. I love the imperfections that come with telling a story that’s not so broad. To sound like a douchebag, it feels more real.
What songs are your fave on this album?
- My favorites tend to fluctuate. We’ve been rolling this album out for the past year, so I’ve been able to spend quite a lot of time with each song. “Dust” was my first favorite; it’ll always be ‘up there’ for me. The production, the story in the lyrics… I’m proud of that one. I also love the video we made for it.
- Right now, I’m really loving “The Waiting” and “IAM2LA”. “The Waiting” was the first co-write I’ve ever done for this project and it was such a special session. I got to work with Jeremy Lutito and Jon Green, and they really brought something out that day. “IAM2LA” was just a big revelatory song that took me a few hours to write. It reminded me of what I had and that I was allowed to choose happiness and contentment over something unknown. I spent so long thinking that the ‘unknown’ decision was the admirable and brave one (and sometimes, it is). But, for so long, I neglected the beautiful things that I had right in front of me. And those were more than enough.
Would you say Oklahoma City nurtured your creativity and drive? Where are you currently residing?
- 100%. I grew up playing in a pop punk band in high school and we got the opportunity to tour a large part of the US, as well as release some albums/EPs that I still hold very near and dear to my heart. That planted a seed in me that I’m still chasing. I fell in love with the idea of doing music forever.
- OKC’s music scene was very supportive and there were many people there that believed in what I was doing and helped to nurture my goals of being a songwriter and artist. I’ve been in Nashville for the better part of 10 years now and I really love it here. I initially came with the dream of writing for other artists and, while I still do that, I love getting to create/perform these songs that feel so personal to me.
Can we get a sneak peek for 2025?
- Yes! We’re working on a deluxe version of the record right now, so that should be expected by the end of this year or beginning of next; this will include some additional songs, as well as a vinyl run (so excited for that). As you mentioned, I’ve got a side project called JONI that just started releasing music out of the Netherlands, so I’ll be spending some more time over there, as well. In the interim of all this, I’ve got a few collaborations that I’m SUPER excited to share, too. So, stay tuned for those 🙂
- Oh, and I’m also getting married next fall — so that’ll be the highlight!
Wow, CONGRATS! Do you have any words of encouragement for other artists out there?
- If you love this thing and you have something to say, there’s no reason you shouldn’t go for it. We aren’t out here re-inventing the wheel; we’re just telling our stories from our perspectives. There’s so much noise coming from all different directions right now, but I really do believe that there’s a place for everyone’s voice. We need fresh perspectives and honesty more than ever, and we all have something to say that’s worth hearing.
- ALSO! Most importantly! Don’t take for granted the things and people and places that make you happy. It’s so easy to neglect them and put them on the back burner, but THOSE are the things that give us longevity. It’s never a waste of time to take a night for yourself, doing something you love with someone you love, etc. I swear that’ll keep you going, in the long run.
Is there a famous quote or motto you live by?
- Good question! I think my yearbook quote was from Fight Club, so I don’t know if I’m good at these… [laughs]
- I always go back to the idea of, “If you never stop doing the thing, you’ll get there, in time.” As long as you still love doing it, keep going for it in any ways you can. As we become adults, it gets harder and harder to keep a dream afloat (life stuff), but I do believe that there are always ways. I feel like either Jimmy Page or Seth Rogen said something like that. It stuck with me.
- I also do that thing where, when I’m overwhelmed or feeling nervous about something going on/coming up (especially pertaining to music), I say, “I’m a lucky, lucky girl.” It’s some manifestation thing my fiancée told me once and it made me laugh out loud. But now, I fucking swear by it hahaha. It helps!
Jordan Lindley – “Dust (Live)”
Stream ‘Maybe It’ll All Work Out’ album:
Photography by Lindsey Torres
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