2018 marked McDell’s return with an independently-released record that celebrates her musical roots and the sounds of her upbringing. This new recorded project came together between Auckland, New Zealand and Nashville, Tennessee where she recorded the tracks with Australian award-winner producer Nash Chambers. The record features a hearty cast of country music legends including Kasey Chambers, Bill Chambers and Tami Neilson.
It was the music of her childhood that would form the fundamental elements of what excited her about songwriting the most - an honest vocal, lots of acoustic guitar and deep storytelling. At age 7, while living aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean, when McDell wrote her first song. On that yacht lived a small collection of her parents’ favourite tapes, including albums by Jimmy Buffett, John Denver and James Taylor, which the young McDell formed a particularly strong bond with. She fondly remembers watching her parents perform Jimmy Buffett duets - and occasionally chiming in, learning how to harmonize vocally with her mother. An eager learner, McDell picked up the guitar after studying her fathers’ John Denver chord book collection and has never looked back.
In March 2017, McDell booked a trip to Nashville for a change of scenery and to connect with the environment that birthed the country/folk music of her youth. There she wrote the songs that would make up the fabric for her upcoming record.
Later that year, twelve songs (written solely by McDell) were recorded in two days with full band at House Of Blues, Studio D in Nashville, with Chambers at the helm. Recording this way would boil up feelings of nostalgia for McDell, who’s very first recording experience took place at Auckland’s York Street studios in the same vein.
“This is the closest thing I’ve done to a live record,” McDell says. “I enjoy playing and singing in the same room as everyone, recording full takes, celebrating the liveliness of the players and accepting mistakes or imperfections as a special and important part of the body of work.”
On this new record, McDell’s vocals are the most raw and vulnerable they have ever been - powerful and honest - and reflect her core listening inspirations which include Patty Griffin and Alison Krauss. Her Margaritaville-infused childhood sneaks through in humorous lines like “scared of looking crazy, she opens up a bottle of wine, forgets about her baby and looks to have a hell of a time.”
This new album also marks McDell’s second independent release since going independent from 2016 - the first being a debut album, written/performed with her younger sister Tessa as Dunes. This record has been personally hand-crafted from the ground up, with McDell overseeing everything from the writing, creation, promotion and release. She also creates the visual artwork herself, as a graphic designer by day.
Putting the overall feeling of the album into words isn’t easy, but McDell reflects on the personal challenge of leaving the comfort of home to write something that was honest and true.
“Nashville was me getting out of my comfort zone and finding my way back to it. I like to write songs quickly and alone and quite frankly when I feel like it, and I think being away from home helped me get back to that headspace,”
“The listener is getting a sincerely true collection of stories that haven’t been tampered with since they were written. They are exactly what I felt like saying/singing at the time - raw, unpolished
and deeply honest.”
This Time
Jamie McDell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No time for the doors that are always closed
And then he sent a letter to his mother
And she closed her eyes and said he′s comming home
Hey 'ma I got something to tell you
And all the faces they don′t really care
I told them I was different but they call me same
This time I'm coming home forever
You'll never say goodbye again
And this time I′m coming home forever
You′ll never be alone again
Ten month on the streets of Argentina
Soft air but their houses are made of stone
And she thought like she knows he'll find another
′Till the day he left a message one her phone
Hey girl I got something to tell you
I'm really wishing you were here
I guess you call it living but it′s just not the same
This time I'm coming home forever
You′ll never say goodbye again
And this time I'm coming home forever
You'll never be alone again
Five days on the border of Nouméa
Their feet and their case are made of sand
I gave all my money to a friend I never saw again
This time I′m coming home forever
You′ll never say goodbye again
And this time I'm coming home forever
You′ll never be alone again
This time I'm coming home forever
You′ll never say goodbye again
And this time I'm coming home forever
You′ll never be alone again
You'll never be alone again
Jamie McDell's song This Time is a heartwarming and motivational piece that tells the stories of two individuals who have been away from home for a long time. With a mellow guitar accompaniment and McDell's soothing voice, the lyrics take the audience on an emotional journey that is relatable and resonates deeply. The song starts with "Two years on the walls of going under, no time for the doors that are always closed," which implies that the individual has been struggling for a long time, feeling trapped and hoping for a change. However, when they finally send a letter to their mother, she responds with joy, as he is finally coming home. This depicts the power of hope and the importance of love and family.
Similarly, in the second verse, a girl has been away from home for ten months on the streets of Argentina, and although she tries to find solace in her new surroundings, she knows deep down that home is where her heart belongs. The lyrics "I gave all my money to a friend I never saw again" highlights the sacrifices she had to make to return home, and her ultimate decision to come home indicates that she made the right choice. Overall, the song's message is uplifting, and it speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost, hopeless, or far away from what they consider home.
Line by Line Meaning
Two years on the walls of going under
It's been two long years of struggling and feeling overwhelmed
No time for the doors that are always closed
There's no time to waste on closed opportunities or dead-end paths
And then he sent a letter to his mother
He reached out to his mother for support and comfort
And she closed her eyes and said he's coming home
She can sense that her child is finally coming home, both physically and emotionally
Hey 'ma I got something to tell you
He has a big announcement to make to his mother
And all the faces they don't really care
He feels like no one else cares about his struggles and accomplishments
I told them I was different but they call me same
He tried to explain to others that he was unique, but they just saw him as ordinary
This time I'm coming home forever
He's finally returning home and staying for good
You'll never say goodbye again
He won't have to experience the pain of leaving loved ones behind anymore
Ten months on the streets of Argentina
He's spent ten months without a permanent home, wandering the streets of Argentina
Soft air but their houses are made of stone
The environment may seem pleasant, but it lacks the warmth and security of a home
And she thought like she knows he'll find another
She assumed he would move on and find a new life without her
Till the day he left a message on her phone
He reached out to her and showed that he still cared and wanted to be with her
Hey girl I got something to tell you
He has a heartfelt confession to make to his significant other
I'm really wishing you were here
He longs for her presence and support during his difficult times
I guess you call it living but it's just not the same
He's surviving, but not truly living without her by his side
Five days on the border of Nouméa
He's spent five long days on the outskirts of Nouméa
Their feet and their case are made of sand
Everything is temporary and unstable, like sand that can easily shift and change
I gave all my money to a friend I never saw again
He made a selfless act of kindness, but it didn't lead to a lasting connection or friendship
You'll never be alone again
He promises his loved ones that they will never have to endure loneliness again
Writer(s): Stuart John Crichton, Jamie Mcdell
Contributed by Alexis L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.