Jonesing for new music during the pandemic?
Don’t worry, Norah has you covered with upcoming “Pick Me Up Off the Floor.”
A new album wasn’t in Norah Jones’ plans.
It just sort of happened.
“I was recording all these singles these past few years and I ended up with a lot of extra songs,” she told USA TODAY. “I was trying to not make an album and made one.”
That album, “Pick Me Up Off the Floor,” drops Friday. It was initially set for a May release, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many other performers, from Lady Gaga to the Dixie Chicks, adjusted their releases because of the virus as well.
A nine-time Grammy winner, Jones has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.
Jones says she’s “unsure” whether the release is appropriate during these troubled times, but she hopes to offer some comfort to homebound fans.
“Music doesn’t hurt anyone,” she said. “I thought let’s just release it because ... the internet. Everybody is home. It’s weird. What are you going to do ... stop because it’s weird?”
Jones’ most recent album, “Day Breaks,” dropped in 2016. Since then, she’s focused on short sessions with a variety of collaborators.
“Every session I’ve done, there’ve been extra songs I didn’t release, and they’ve sort of been collecting for the last two years,” Jones said when first announcing the new album. “I became really enamored with them, having the rough mixes on my phone, listening while I walk the dog. The songs stayed stuck in my head, and I realized that they had this surreal thread running through them. It feels like a fever dream taking place somewhere between God, the devil, the heart, the country, the planet and me.”
Her latest effort was inspired, in part, by poetry gifted to her from a friend.
“I’ve never been that into poetry,” she said. “I’ve always been the songwriter, where the music is first. It was a different process for me. It makes for different sounding songs. The process is turned upside down.”
Take for example “I’m Alive,” her poetic collaboration with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, which debuted in March.
In her smooth-yet-raspy voice, Jones sings such lyrics as: “She’s crushed by thoughts // At night of men // Who want her rights // And usually win // But she’s alive // Oh, she’s alive” and “He screams, he shouts // The heads on the TV bow // They take the bait // They mirror waves of hate.”
A tour had been planned but is on hold due to coronavirus. Until things get back to normal, Jones remains holed up with her family, conducting homeschooling sessions like so many other Americans.
“I’m not great at it,” she said. “Their teachers are great. It’s just a lot. Everyone’s just doing their best. My best might not be someone else’s best.”