Kayleigh Goldsworthy | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Watch Kayleigh Goldsworthy play “Jamie” on Folkadelphia
When we shared a set of stripped-down rockers by Kayleigh Goldsworthy in her Key Studio Session earlier this month, we also mentioned a set of scaled-back, more contemplative songs she performed for Folkadelphia in the same session. That set of music aired on the show last week, and is available now on Folkadelphia’s Bandcamp page.
As we hear in performances of “Red” from last year’s All These Miles, and a deep cut called “Lifelines” from her Mockingbird Farm Sessions single, Goldsworthy is an expert at using fluid electric guitar picking to draw listeners in, dancing between folk, country and indie rock. She’s also an expert at scene setting, something exceptionally evident in the song “Jamie.” I rhapsodized about that song when Goldsworthy’s Key Session debuted, and I’ll rhapsodize about it again here — and, I mean, it kind of deserves the attention.
The song’s direct and inviting melody is the score to a depiction of turbulence on an airplane flight, a sensation that triggers self-reflection on personal connections, or perhaps a fear of connection. As the flight attendants remain calm and smile, Goldsworthy’s narrator thinks of an acquaintance who decides to escape a creative life path to go back to school. They think about old friends who get married to strangers. They think about al the places they’ve lived, and lament the lack of geographic stability, but find a sense of inner strength.
“When I touch down, I go ahead / pack my bags and single-file leave again. / A different year, a different town. / Don’t worry, I stopped holding my breath hoping I’d see you around.”
In a way, “Jamie” is tragic — a person who seems resigned to their nomadic, lone-wolf fate. But it also speaks to the way life unfolds how the universe intends it to, even if it’s not the way we’d prefer; it speaks to how we can adjust and adapt, find our way, offer forgiveness to people who drifted on their own way, and hope for continued connection throughout it all.
Watch “Jamie” performed live in WXPN studios, and listen to Kayleigh Goldsworthy’s entire session below, via Folkadelphia.
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