Pratt was raised by her mother, who exposed her to a broad range of artists, including Tim Buckley, X, and the Gun Club. She learned to play the guitar around the age of 15, after her older brother gave up playing his Stratocaster. She took his guitar and started practising with the T. Rex album, Electric Warrior. She was soon able to play the guitar parts of the whole record. She eventually began recording songs at the age of 16, using her mother's Fender guitar amp and microphone.
After she moved to San Francisco, she was introduced to Tim Presley's solo project, White Fence, through Presley's brother, who was her roommate for three years. In the following years, Presley heard Pratt's demo songs through her then-boyfriend, who had posted her songs on Facebook. He eventually contacted her to release her music.
Pratt's self-titled debut album was released in 2012 through Presley's label, Birth Records. Produced by Craig Gotsill, the album featured the songs that were originally recorded in 2007 over analogue tape. The initial 500 pressings of the sold out in less than two weeks. It received attention from many music websites and magazines, including Pitchfork (website), Consequence of Sound[3] and PopMatters.
In January 2014, she revealed the studio version of a new track, "Game That I Play."
In October 2014, Pratt announced her sophomore album, On Your Own Love Again.
In October 2018, she announced her third album, Quiet Signs, and released a video for a new track, "This Time Around." Pitchfork reviewed the song, giving it the Best New Music designation and noting a stylistic shift, comparing it to "a Tropicalia version of a Christmas song, or a ’60s jukebox standard playing in a beach town diner during the off-season."
According to Philip Cosores of Consequence of Sound, Pratt's music "displays a lyrical and musical range without straying from a palette of picked acoustic guitar and raw, bending vocals" and nods to "60′s folk, California classic rock, and the early 2000′s freak folk." She is compared to various folk artists, including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Sibylle Baier, David Crosby and Karen Dalton. She also expressed admiration for Ariel Pink.
Mountain'r Lower
Jessica Pratt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well inside was nowhere to hide, no where to hide them
And inside was no where to hide, nowhere to hide them
If you'd called or helped
Heavy heart flame from the bed that rains for the raiders comming down when the game spun round
Keep me darling in your darkest hours like a mother made of stone
He sings low for the long pour there's a hundred mighty men or more
And his eyes were so fixed on light, so fixed fixed on the light
If he comes home, home, home and do wrong, wrong wrong
The first verse of Jessica Pratt's song Mountain'r Lower starts with an empty bed and the image of a person hanging low over a bottle. The second line speaks of nowhere to hide, hinting at some kind of inner turmoil or conflict. The repetition of the phrase “nowhere to hide them” emphasizes the feeling of being trapped or exposed. The lines “Heavy heart flame from the bed that rains for the raiders comming down when the game spun round” create a vivid image of intense emotion pouring out of the bed, possibly in response to a traumatic event.
The second verse introduces the idea of someone who “sings low for the long pour” and whose “eyes were so fixed on light”. This person seems to be seeking some kind of salvation, perhaps from a religious figure, and is fixated on finding it. However, the line “guide him too low, guide him to down home” suggests that this quest may lead him down a dangerous path. The closing line, “If he comes home, home, home and do wrong, wrong, wrong”, hints at the possibility of this person failing to find the inner peace he seeks and succumbing to negative influences.
Overall, the lyrics of Mountain'r Lower paint a picture of intense emotional experiences and inner conflicts. The repeated use of the phrase “nowhere to hide them” emphasizes the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable, while the references to seeking salvation and guidance suggest a quest for meaning or purpose. The final lines of the song leave the listener with a sense of uncertainty, wondering whether the person being referred to will be able to find the peace he seeks or whether he will continue down a destructive path.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the bed lies empty, Lord I see your head hanging low with the bottle told
The empty bed and the sorrowful face with the bottle in hand tells a story of disappointment and loneliness
Well inside was nowhere to hide, no where to hide them
There was no escape for the thoughts and feelings that weigh heavy on the mind
And inside was no where to hide, nowhere to hide them
The pain was so intense that there was no way to ignore it or put it aside
If you'd called or helped
If only someone had reached out or offered a hand, things may have been different
Heavy heart flame from the bed that rains for the raiders comming down when the game spun round
The overwhelming sadness and despair feels like a heavy burden and it's hard to cope when things fall apart
Keep me darling in your darkest hours like a mother made of stone
Stay with me through the tough times, like a strong, unbreakable mother figure
He sings low for the long pour there's a hundred mighty men or more
He sings a sad song for the lonely people who drown their sorrows in alcohol, and their numbers are great
And his eyes were so fixed on light, so fixed fixed on the light
Despite the darkness, he clings to the hope and light that he sees, even if it's far away
That right hand guide him too low, guide him to down home
The easy path leads him down to the depths of despair, but he hopes to find a way back home
If he comes home, home, home and do wrong, wrong wrong
Even if he comes back home and makes mistakes or bad decisions, he hopes to find forgiveness and understanding
Writer(s): Jessica Pratt
Contributed by Bella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.