Judy Blank om publiken i Sverige, *Tiger Eye Stone* och en magisk helg i Ludvika med Jesper Lindells band

Den holländska singer-songwritern Judy Blank (numera boende i USA) har blivit en återkommande favorit bland svenska americana-älskare. Med sina ärliga texter, genreöverskridande produktioner och känsliga melodier har hon byggt en trogen publik inte minst i Sverige. Inför sin medverkan på Brunnsvik Music Festival i Ludvika skickade Musikpulsen några frågor till Judy  och efter att hon återvänt hem till USA den 12 juli tog hon sig tid att svara. Resultatet blev ett samtal om kärlek, låtskrivande, genrelek och en mycket speciell svensk helg.

You’re back in Sweden again – how does it feel to return, and what makes Swedish audiences special to you?

Swedish audiences are SO fun to play for. They’re super attentive, which is honestly something that makes playing a lot more fun. They’re also dedicated, and WILL return to your show after they see you. They know your deep cuts and will request them. If I could, I’d tour Sweden all the time.

Your song Tiger Eye Stone is both deeply personal and poetic. What inspired it, and how did it come together musically?

See? Deep cut! A few years ago, right before I went to the US to go to Nashville for the first time, I felt the urge to make this massive trip by myself, even though I had a very lovely boyfriend at the time. The weekend before I was supposed to leave, I played a castle festival in the Netherlands, and he came for the hang. There was a little market there, and he bought me a silver ring with a tiger eye stone in it. He said: ”So you can wear it and be reminded of me when you’re all by yourself in that big country.” It was such a sweet gesture, and every time I missed him or encountered weirdness I just checked if I was still wearing it. The song was completely inspired by that wild and adventurous trip and his romantic gesture. I recorded it a year later for my album Morning Sun, with my favorite musician in the world: Ethan Ballinger.

You’ve worked with Jesper Lindell before. How did you feel about the opportunity to perform your songs with his band in Ludvika?

I’m so honored he invited me! His band to me feels like this cool 1970s LA pop supergroup, and playing with them felt like a dream. They learned my songs, I brought my guitar player, and even their trombone player – who wasn’t even asked – joined in for two songs. It was a dope reminder that music actually IS a universal language. I had a lot of fun and would play with them any time. They also crushed it with Dylan LeBlanc afterwards.

Your music blends Americana, indie pop, and folk. How do you find your balance between those genres, and do you feel like your style is still evolving?

I don’t, hahaha. I just write a song from whatever place feels honest, and record it in the way I’m interested in the most at that point in time. When I was recording Morning Sun, I was listening to Fresh Folk everyday, so it heavily inspired my production to be simple and kind of ’organic’ sounding. But then I started listening to different kinds of music, more obscure sixties stuff, AND more indie rock, so with that, the ’paint’ that is the production of my songs changed entirely. I’m also very ADHD, so I’m glad I get the opportunity to do whatever I want as an artist. But my love for folky pop songs will exist forever.

You’ve played everything from small cafés to big festivals. What kind of setting do you feel most at home in as a performer?

I do best in smaller settings, where I can look people in the eye. Not in a creepy way; but when I play a massive stage I just feel like I can’t connect with people as much. I like to see what my music does to people in real time.

You seem to have a strong visual and emotional presence in your songwriting. Do you write mostly from personal experience, or also from observation or fiction?

It’s a mix; I can be inspired by movies, quotes and books for sure. I’m a big fan of arthouse films. But I’ll tell you a secret: there’s always a solid dose of my own feelings in every song I write, even if it’s inspired by something outside of myself. I like to morph feelings and fiction.

What’s your favorite song to play live right now – and why?

Karaoke! It’s so simple, but holds so much meaning. Everyone sings the chorus, even if they’ve never heard it before, and it’s giving me the feeling that sharing music together is something spiritual, something sacred, and something that brings people together instead of dividing them. And I feel like that’s what we need more of right now.

Is there any Swedish artist you’ve discovered on your tours here that you’d love to collaborate with?

YES! I really really really love Johan Borgh. We met in a music shop in Stockholm, he played guitar with me in Falkenberg and Stockholm last year (no rehearsal!) and is actually playing on a new song that we recorded in Stockholm last week… His parts are pretty magical. I hope you get to hear it soon. Maybe a bonus track for my new album Big Mood that comes out August 22nd! I still need to convince my label of that, haha. But I would love some accidental Swedish action on this new record.

Judy Blanks närvaro i Sverige har blivit något att räkna med. Med värme, ärlighet och musikalisk nyfikenhet lyckas hon gång på gång skapa stark kontakt med sin publik  oavsett om det är i Stockholm, Falkenberg eller Ludvika. Och med nya albumet Big Mood runt hörnet ser framtiden ljus ut för en av americana-scenens mest charmiga röster.