Jordan Gruver talks inspiration, the DIY grind, and her excellent debut album

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter’s stunning LP Until I’m Old News is out now

It is an honor to introduce you here to Jordan Gruver, an Arizona grown singer-songwriter who has just released her debut record. Gruver is a multi-instrumental, independent artist that has roamed through Phoenix and Los Angeles, gathering power and knowledge along the way, ultimately preparing her for this moment.

Until I’m Old News is now out in the world. It’s a collection of music she has written over her young adulthood, and it deserves your immediate attention. It’s growth, grit, and grace vibrating in warm chords and sweet vocals. It’s music for contemplation, to be paired with coffee or wine, unbothered by anything more pressing than a hot pan on the stove or laundry on the bed. There’s a moment to be soft and yearn in “Ask Me To.” The smitten energy in “Glowing Grey” is ideal for those kitchen shuffles. “Carry My Weight” is coy before it manages to bend your head. The lyrics throughout the album read like poetry.

It is a plainly impressive debut, not only musically, but I believe it is the persistence and the determination behind the endeavor that hits me even cleaner. DIY artists face unrelenting challenges today. In a time where any pursuit of passion feels massive when it doesn’t feel foolish, the simple thought of pouring soul into a project outside of steady employment and simple leisure is gutsy. Until I’m Old News is a gorgeous record as it stands, but don’t let Gruver’s easy melodies completely distract you from the fact that she had to fight for this music to exist as it does now. It took a wild and willful journey to get this raspberry of a record to our door. 

Without further ado, Jordan was able to talk with Impose just before the release of Until I’m Old News, out everywhere now.

Tell us about your music!

I would describe my music as indie jazz and indie pop with a hint of folk. The album’s got a little bit of everything though – rock, folk, jazz, pop. Despite more than half of the songs being guitar-based on the record, I’m primarily a piano player, so oftentimes in my writing process I’ll start off on the piano. A fun fact for good measure; I learned how to play piano as a kid from my great-grandmother on the same 1938 Straube that still currently sits in the entryway of my childhood home. Most of the piano-based songs on the record were written on that same piano just a few years ago. That part is so special to me.

What’s going on? What are you up to? 

A lot of promotion and all of the seemingly never-ending to-do’s that come along with releasing an album. Since this is a self-produced, independent record, I’ve had to wear a lot of hats and call upon a lot of favors for this album and the accompanying promotional content. I’m lucky to be surrounded by an amazing network of fellow musicians and creatives, most of which I’m grateful to also call my friends. They’ve all been incredibly generous with their time and talents to help me get this thing off the ground. Most recently, I’ve been working on merch, CDs, and vinyl for the release. It’s been exciting but simultaneously a little terrifying because I’m essentially starting from ground zero on all of it – it’s been a huge learning curve. I also have a few music videos in the works to support two of the tracks off the album which will likely come out in August. Just feelin’ fortunate and grateful at every turn – trying to soak it all in and enjoy the process.

What’s it feel like?

It feels cathartic in a way. It feels like I’m finally shedding an old version of myself that I’ve outgrown in the most authentic way possible and turning the next page, but also celebrating where I’ve been and where I’m headed. It’s taken nearly two years to get to these final arrangements and versions of the tunes and they mean the world to me. It also feels validating knowing all the times I’ve struggled to reach this point and felt like it was all for nothing. There have been a number of obstacles along the way but I really wouldn’t change a thing. Finally being able to complete a full album’s worth of my own music and prove to myself that I could make it here and it has been incredibly fulfilling.

What has this process been like? 

We recorded the album at the Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California, in September of 2022. I was very adamant about wanting to record the album live in the room together. We tracked 10 songs in four days and it was one of the best experiences of my life. There’s always an element of imposter syndrome in those types of first-time situations, especially recording in a space where so many legendary artists have been and created iconic music. Before I got there, that absolutely sent my anxiety into overdrive, but I couldn’t have felt more at home the entire time at Rancho. Dave Catching owns the Rancho studio and he’s one of the most humble and down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet. It’s hard to describe exactly what Dave does at the studio unless you’ve actually been there and met him, but he’s the owner, Joshua Tree tour guide, chef, bartender, gear aficionado, producer, tech, ridiculously talented musician, the list goes on. He makes you feel immediately comfortable in what would otherwise be a nerve-wracking first-time recording experience. We also brought on Danny Frankel (Lou Reed, K.D. Lang) to play drums and percussion on the record, and he brought a level of playfulness and creativity to the equation. Danny, like any great drummer does, really helped shape the overall feel of the record.

Have you turned to any music in this process? Any inspiration elsewhere? 

Absolutely. My biggest influences while writing these songs were Norah Jones, Adrianne Lenker, Eloise, Lizzy McAlpine and Snail Mail. Majority of these tracks were actually written in 2020 and early 2021, so I was listening to an alarming amount of sad girl music at that time while stuck at home. Other inspiration came from the community around me – local musicians, singer-songwriter friends, and seeing as many live shows as I could when I first moved to LA. I used to attend this open mic in LA regularly a few years ago and would always leave feeling encouraged and inspired by the songs, lyrics and vulnerability of people that would go up and play or sing for a room full of strangers. It takes a lot of guts to test out a new song in a room of fellow songwriters…I just always had mad respect for those regulars who would show up week after week and continue to face their fears and push through shaking on stage just to share a sliver of their life and lay it all out. Sometimes all you need when you’re feeling like giving up is for that one person to come up to you after a show or an open mic and tell you how much your song or performance meant to them. That’s really what keeps me going is knowing that my songs could mean something to someone; that I could be a source of light to someone through my music.

What’s it like being an indie recording artist today? What’s fulfilling? What are some challenges? 

I’m not going to lie, it can be tough and overwhelming at times. There are good days and bad days like anything else; it takes a lot of dedication, commitment and most importantly, consistency. Especially with the social media piece, which of course is an essential part of the equation nowadays, but not something that comes naturally to me at all. Broadcasting my personality online feels foreign and strange sometimes but I’m trying to push myself to find my own authentic approach to it all. I’ve tried to get more comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s just going to be a lifelong journey for me. I get the greatest fulfillment from the writing process and performing live. Songwriting is a core part of my identity and the only way I can make sense of big feelings, the world, and where I fit into it. There’s also no better feeling than nailing a performance and feeling the crowd’s energy. I try my best to focus on enjoying the actual process and celebrating even the most minor of milestones rather than pushing onto the next thing so quickly. I think it’s important to try and slow down and remember why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place, which is always so much easier said than done.

What’s this album mean to you?

It means learning who I am and who I want to be – how to make mistakes and learn from them, how to forgive others and forgive myself, how to be kind and let kindness follow. I think since we’ve worked on the album for two years now, with some of these songs being four to five years old, they’ve continued to take on new meaning for me. Ultimately, the album’s about self-exploration – growing up and growing out of an older version of myself, being curious about the world but also knowing that curiosity can crush you, people you shouldn’t have trusted, decisions you shouldn’t have made, anything really. But accepting that’s just life and understanding the beauty of it all is that we get to feel and exist in the first place. The record takes you on a clear journey from beginning to end and we were extremely intentional on the sequencing of the songs. I think sequencing has become something of a lost art in today’s music of just dropping single after single. I’m extremely proud of how we were able to meld different genres together while still maintaining this cohesive vibe and storyline throughout. The overall sound of the album is really a combination of the diverse influences of all the musicians who played on it. I think that’s what makes it sound so unique.

Anything else you’d like to add or say?

I co-produced this record with my two friends and some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met, Grant Walker and Chase Miller. The three of us managed this entire project ourselves from the very beginning, of course with the help of a laundry list of other incredible musicians featured on it. Grant was the recording engineer, mixing engineer, and played every random instrument you hear on the record from a gong to a glockenspiel. Chase played pretty much every stringed instrument on most of the tracks – he’s a powerhouse singer-songwriter in his own right and inspires me to be a better musician, lyricist, and just general human being every day. They’ve both encouraged, supported, and believed in me since day one. Sometimes all it takes is just that one person that keeps you going, validates you when you feel like it’s all for nothing; that’s been Grant and Chase for me. I just want to thank and credit them for their immense talent and for not giving up on me when I was 22 and terrified to play my songs in front of anyone. I’ve learned that the secret is just to surround yourself with people better than you. I truly feel that way about everyone who’s contributed to this album.