New Zealand singer/songwriter Georgia Lines has just released her debut album The Rose of Jericho – inspired by those sweeping Disney movie orchestral openers, as much as its steeped in lilting indie pop, R & B with a nod to jazz greats like Billie Halliday.
The album was written over a few years; with writing sessions in LA producing some epic tracks that conjure all the feels. From the heavy ache of Grow Old Without You to Grand Illusion [both co-writes with Leroy Clampitt] they’re merely a taste of the tenderness you find within this poignant debut.
Georgia Lines spoke to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
I am from Mount Maunganui, a small beach town on the coast (everybody migrates here over the summer as it’s the best place to be in the summertime). However, I currently live in Auckland, which I am loving. I love that there’s always something happening up here, lots of yummy food places.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
It’s not quite a meal, but I became utterly obsessed with these cheese scones from one of my favourite cafes in Mount Maunganui – Spongedrop. Heated with jam and butter – it’s honestly one of my most favourite, comforting food memories.
FAVOURITE BAR
Friedas – An old butchery turned cosy wine bar in Grey Lynn.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
Gin and tonic.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
Bacon & Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s with added mayo and a hash brown.
BEST BAR
Sydney – The Caterpillar Club. I love a secret bar, and loved the atmosphere of The Caterpillar Club. The vinyl playing in the background, the velvet curtains, friendly staff. An absolute highlight of my last trip to Sydney. Also the cheeseburger was quite possibly the best burger I’ve had.
FAVOURITE WINE
It might be attached to the memory with the wine, but my favourite bottle of wine (to this point has been) Riunite Lambrusco Reggiano. I first discovered it with some of my best friends, sitting at the lakes in the sunshine, after a big day on the boat fishing for trout.
FAVOURITE WINERY
Black Barn Vineyards in Hawkes Bay, NZ.
NEXT DESTINATION
Japan
THE MOST SATISFYING THING WHEN MAKING YOUR DEBUT ALBUM THE ROSE OF JERICHO
Recording the live strings and crafting my orchestral Disney moments throughout the record. Both Grand Illusion and Grow Old Without You had the most beautiful strings, and was such a highlight to making this album. I also really loved pulling together the visuals for the album. It really felt like all of the themes musically and visually pieced together so beautifully. That was very satisfying – especially seeing the physical vinyl being printed and then holding it in my hands.
ON WORKING WITH GRAMMY-NOMINATED PRODUCER LEROY CLAMPITT
Leroy and I met years ago in New Zealand when he was working on NZ Dancing With The Stars and reproducing some of the tracks for the show. It wasn’t until last year that we reconnected when I was on a writing trip in LA that we wrote Grow Old Without You and Wayside together. Pretty incredible seeing him from afar creating some incredible music and being able to work with him on a few songs for my record.
THREE SONGS – TELL US EVERYTHING
Throughout the making of the record, I was incredibly inspired by Billie Holiday (her Solitude album is a fave), and I watched many Disney movies – some of the very first animations. I was inspired by the beautiful orchestral openings, and musically the world that was created in those scenes. I really wanted to bring those influences into the album and feel we did a beautiful job of incorporating that world with Grow Old Without You and Grand Illusion.
End of the World: I wrote this a few years ago with my friend Djiesan Suskov after coming out covid. I felt like there was a resounding question many people were asking; ‘Is this the end of the world?’. I had listened to a beautiful podcast that said this…’The moment you decide the world is ending… your world is already over’, We wrote this song as a way to address that. My hope is that when people listen to the record they find themselves and their stories within the pages of the songs. It has been a pretty special experience hearing how people are interpreting the songs and how it has been connecting with people so deeply in so many different ways.
A RECORD THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE
Brooke Fraser – Arithmetic
I have always been incredibly inspired by Brooke, and when this album came out I was quite young and trying to find my way as a young artist wanting to write music. Seeing another female, Kiwi artist releasing music was very inspiring and a real driving force being feeling like if it was possible for Brooke, it was possible for me.
