This Album Changed My Life: Katie Jayne on Kasey Chambers' The Captain

Country singer-songwriter, Katie Jayne began her career in the United Kingdom in 2015 as the driving force behind the duo Southern Junction. Making her debut at the Isle of Wight Festival, she went on to play many impressive venues including London’s O2 Arena, for the Country2Country Festival as well as the UK’s two leading country music festivals, Buckle and Boots and FSA Fest.

Originally from Dubbo and now residing in Newcastle, Katie writes songs for girls just like her, while drawing inspiration from the likes of Miranda Lambert, The Chicks and Dolly Parton. A favourite in the digital landscape, Katie’s music sits at over 1 million streams.

We caught up with Katie and asked her to tell us about an album that changed her life.

Katie Jayne On Kasey Chambers’ The Captain

“’I should focus more on the thought of letting you just slip away’ … the haunting vocal melody captivated my attention as a kid. My sister had the album on repeat and as I idolised Kasey, I quickly learnt every song, walking around the farm loudly singing off key, ‘… but before you disappear again, just think of what you’re feeling and don’t go’. With songs like The Captain, Last Hard Bible, and my personal favourite, We’re All Gonna Die Someday, The Captain album shaped who I was to become 15 or so years later, forging my own way through the music industry and trying to keep my songs honest and relatable.

The album was almost like a call to arms for every injustice I had thought I had lived until that point, ‘I never lived through the great depression, but sometimes I feel as though I did.’ Her voice enchanted me because it was different, it wasn’t so polished, it felt really raw and honest and the closest thing I had ever heard to what I thought my voice sounded like. I felt represented in a way that I never could with Mariah, Britney or even Avril. The lyrical storytelling, strong with beautiful imagery, captivated my attention with every song. I imagined a slightly older version of myself jumping into cars with Mr Baylis on a cloudy day headed into the unknown or wandering through pine trees in unfamiliar territory. It was just honest and beautiful music that I fell in love with and still to this day find myself getting swept away in. I got to see Kasey perform at Lizottes in Newcastle and she sang a lot of the older stuff without complaint. It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. She is such an inspiring woman who I look up to when navigating my own career.” 

For more of our This Album Changed My Life series, go here.
Keep up to date with Katie Jayne on her Facebook page here.

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