Lynne Jackaman
The former Saint Jude singer goes it alone, with help from musicians who’ve backed some of the true greats.
Back in 2010, when London-based rock’n’soul band Saint Jude recorded their first album, Diary Of A Soul Fiend, their future looked bright. Unfortunately they ran out of steam when guitarist Adam Green passed away in 2012.
Frontwoman Lynn Jackaman picked up the pieces with the help of Quireboys guitarist Guy Griffin, and recorded her soulful solo debut One Shot in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, backed by players who had worked with Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other greats.
With Saint Jude coming to a halt in 2014, it’s been a long, convoluted journey for you to release this solo debut. Yeah, it’s strange to think that Diary Of A Soul Fiend came out a decade ago. This was a roller-coaster of emotions, and I’ve had to fight past a lot of obstacles.
The finance for it was via Pledge, just before the company went bust. The money for the recording came through, but I had to find a way of paying for the mixing, mastering and manufacturing out of my own pocket.
You never thought: “Okay, that’s one setback too many”? No. I’m a fighter. In making this record I met people who will be friends for life, and that’s success in itself for me. Anything else is a blessing.
What was Guy Griffin’s involvement? We got together as co-writers. And although its direction went through some changes, he still has lots of songs on the album.
You got to record at FAME studios because your album’s producer had worked there and recommended you to its general manager. That’s right. I never imagined that a bunch of songs written in Bedford would be recorded in Alabama – in the very place where Percy Sledge made When A Man Loves A Woman.
Can you sum up your emotions when the red ‘Recording’ light went on in that famous studio? I felt many things. I was humbled and I wondered whether I deserved to be there, but I got an incredible energy from the place. I went from completely confident to totally insecure. When we recorded the song My Beautiful Loss, I lit a candle for Adam Green, my best friend and [Saint Jude] bandmate, and it blew out at the last notes. That was my way of letting go.
“I want to bring retro into the now.”
Presumably the legendary musicians you recorded with gave you feedback? They did. I received so much incredible support and encouragement.
Was there a moment when you knew that everything would be okay? Yeah. When I did My Beautiful Loss with Bonnie Raitt’s guitarist Will McFarlane, he started crying.
In your biography it says you hope to be regarded alongside such contemporaries as Brittany Howard, Michael Kiwanuka and Yola. There’s a whole load of soul artists whose music isn’t totally retro. I want to bring retro into the now.
Why release an album in the middle of a pandemic? If I waited until I can tour I might be sitting on it till next summer. By the time I’m ready to do that with the next one I’ll have more material and, hopefully, a bigger fan base.
One Shot is released on August 14 via www.lynnejackamanmusic.com