An Honest and Emotional Single from Joanne Powell Displays Soul

53 minutes ago

8 min read

Joanne Powell returns with a powerful new single that comes through with a heavy-handed soul and gospel approach that feels vintage in its tonality, giving you a spirited and robust experience, packed with beautiful instrumentation backing those intensely soulful vocals, and the whole thing really wraps itself around you and holds you tight.

This is a track that feels like it was written decades ago. It feels like something you would hear in a church in the South. It's got that impactful and lush vibe that leaves its mark, and you walk away feeling a little different afterward.

The song is called "Lay Your Head Down," and right off the bat, you get Joanne's intense vocals. Although they do come through smooth and silky, she's also backed by gospel singers in the background. They're not right up front with her vocals, but instead, a little bit distanced so that she's on the forefront, but those additional vocals really create something thick and rich.

This is all backed by an organ, which again sort of breeds that Southern church vibe, and right away, you're pulled into this classic sort of atmosphere, and it feels good.

It feels like you're being cleansed, rested, refreshed.

You can hear how this single showcases some melancholy. It is a track that has a lot of emotion attached to it. The sadness aligns with the sentiment and lyrics of the track extremely well.

The reason for that is because the song feels like it's about losing someone.

They are laying their head down to rest one final time. It's a song about death, life, and how to cope with losing people that we love.

This is not an easy topic to tackle whatsoever. It's actually very difficult, but Joanne puts it into song in such a way that it becomes almost welcoming.

She gives it that warmth that you need, and the power behind a song like this is not just in the performance, but rather in the fact that she articulates her lyrics in such a way that it feels like, even though it's unbelievably difficult, that person is getting their rest.

The beauty of a song like this is that it's connective. A lot of us have lost people that are close to us or that we loved. The process of dealing with that is so incredibly straining at times that we really don't know how to process it all.

This is a song about that. It's about having to process that loss, and I feel like it's connective in a way that lets people feel like they're not alone in that process if they're going through it.

When you lose someone close to you, you do sort of heal, and a lot of people tell you it takes time.

But the truth is that it doesn't always work that way. Time doesn't heal all wounds, in my opinion.

Sometimes we grieve the loss of a person for the rest of our natural-born lives.

This song captures a sort of elegance in how we are all in the same boat. How none of us will live forever, and we will all be in the same place as that person one day.

Although it's a scary idea, there is some kind of comfort in that.

Joanne's performance displays so much of that emotion, and it's not just one feeling or emotion either. It's not just melancholy or sadness, confusion or pain. That warmth is also there. The celebration of life is also there.

She captures so much of that throughout this song, and it's just something that hits hard.

The songwriting approach is also quite classic, and the song itself has a wonderful set of textures that come together to create this atmosphere, and it's something that stays with you.

The song portrays some amazing guitar work, bringing some classic blues to the table along with the soul and gospel elements.

This song is 100% feeling. It's all emotion. I feel like this is what real music is all about.

Some of the best songs in the world are about pain, heartache, and sadness.

If there's anything I can be happiest about, it's the fact that Joanne has woven something together that lets her express herself in those difficult moments. Instead of being stuck with the feelings, she's opening up the bottle and letting them out in the best way she knows how.

Once again, the best part of all of it is that others out there can understand and connect with it.

This was absolutely graceful, riddled with personality, and is completely universal, in my opinion.

I would suggest you listen to this one right away, as it speaks volumes for Joanne and her performance behind the microphone, to say the very least.

This is an artist who easily gives pieces of herself in her music.

Upon listening to it, I wanted to have a sit-down with her so that I could find out exactly where it did come from, along with what may be coming up next for her.

So, while you listen to this impactful piece of work, be sure and have a read through of our interview with Joanne Powell below.

Don't forget where you heard it first.

What is the song about, and where did it come from?

The song is about grieving. How do you say goodbye for the final time, especially when you know that a specific date has been chosen far in advance?

Looking back, I was grieving long before, during, and after the final hours of the passing of my partner for the last 10 years of his life, music journalist Leonard Stoute (Lenny).

The loss has been overwhelming at times still today, but it does get a little easier day by day, especially knowing he is no longer suffering a degenerative, miserable existence.

“Lay Your Head Down” is dedicated to my Leonard Stoute, who passed away Sept. 22, 2024, with dignity through the kind hands of the "Medical Assistance in Dying" (MAID) health team.

My hope is that my song “Lay Your Head Down” will offer a little bit of peace and solace to others in knowing that there are others who have walked in the same shoes and trusting that this too shall pass.

So, how did it all start for you as an artist?

As a kid, I endured major undiagnosed A.D.H.D., which, as you can imagine, made my life particularly unsettling in the department of concentration and productivity. It was a nightmare, frankly, especially when being one of a twin and your twin sister is the polar opposite!

I did not realize it at the time, of course, but singing in the choir and attending regular music classes, along with drama club, became my therapy. Here was something I could be good at, so my confidence bloomed.

At age 8, I started to compete as a solo performer in the local Kiwanis musical festivals and even excelled, winning 1st-place awards.

EUREKA!!! I had arrived. I knew without delay I hit gold as a singer. I was going to keep this “lovin' feelin'” going for as long as I lived. I have not looked back since.

This single had loads of soul and classic tone! Who are your biggest musical influences?

The first album I ever bought at the age of 13 was Barry White’s “I’ve Got So Much to Give.” Ironic when you think about it because growing up in a ridiculously small coastal community in NFLD, I had never SEEN a single Black person, let alone heard one sing like THAT!

Meaning from the heart, with passion that hit deep into my very soul.

There was a natural pull towards soulful singers like Annie Lennox, Nina Simone, Al Green, Mary Wells, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, to name a few.

I would say that Annie Lennox was by far the most influential singer/performer of my generation, simply because our voices have a similar timbre, so I could easily identify with her vocal delivery and soulful stylization.

You had some amazing players on this, including guitarist Mike Freedman, who co-wrote it, correct? Did you guys produce the song as well?

Mike and myself connected very quickly with the writing of “Lay Your Head Down.” It was a four-hour writing session that blossomed from a demo into what you hear today.

I had the lyrics and the melody, and Mike helped me bring structure to the song.

I would like to point out that not only is Mike Freedman a gifted guitarist, a star composer/musician, he is a kind, generous, and patient musician that wants nothing more than to bring the best out of himself and others.

For that reason, I never once felt judged or dismissed... never. I owe a lot to Mike for his dedication and encouragement.

We managed to create a quality demo so I could present the song to my choice studio, Victory Drive Studios, with Jono Grant at the board.

Are you performing live right now?

No, I decided I am taking the time to dedicate myself to songwriting.

The next time I perform, I will be performing my own material. Songwriting is my focus at this time in my life.

Is there anything you are working on next?

Yes, Mike and myself will begin finishing up our next song soon, called “I've Got The Blues For You.”

Aiming for a release early next year.

When you write songs, is it lyrics first? Did you have these lyrics written before the full song came to fruition?

I write lyrics all the time and record them on my phone.

In this case, I had the lyrics, but the melody was not hitting me until I heard a gospel choir on the radio singing some kind of song which I totally did not recognize, but I really liked the feel.

Next thing I know, I'm singing the chorus of “Let Me Lay Your Head Down,” and the rest is history, as they say.

Where was this song recorded?

As far as production, I wanted to work with Jono Grant, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, at his own studio, Victory Drive Studios.

The man has definitely got an ear, especially for vocals, so it was a no-brainer who I wanted to work with recording the song.

I knew I didn't want any AI whatsoever, and I trusted his process.

I have mucho respect for how efficiently he works, delivering quality soundtracks to everything he touches.

What would you say people can expect from this track?

A heartfelt emotional connection with the loss of a loved one.

How much of a hand did you have in the music video creation and ideas?

100%.

The art in the video is actually inspired by a photo taken of me many years ago, of which my artist friend Saskia van Tetering decided to incorporate her own vision after I had asked her to paint that particular photo.

Knowing both Lenny and myself and knowing why I had written this song, the painting shows young Joanne on the right side, reflecting on hopes and dreams, and the older Joanne on the left side, holding flowers and grieving, while Len and myself are focused in the centre frame.

Len is painted as a ghost-like figure representing his passing into the unknown, and I stand willingly letting him go.

Very fitting given the topic, and I knew I didn't want stark black or dark colors. I wanted full, fresh colors representing a new beginning.

I also knew I didn't just want pictures of Lenny or myself floating around in a video, as I wanted to create a more global video where many other people could identify with the message.

That's why there is only one picture of Len and myself at the very end of the video with the liner notes.