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For Immediate Release—
Songwriter Leslie Jordan Creates A Haunting And Beautiful Multi-Generational Collaboration With Her Upcoming Album, The Agonist
Kenneth Pattengale-produced LP is due out on April 25th; Hear “The Fight” today
"a beautiful Americana tune with a gritty vintage feel." - American Songwriter
Nashville, TN - January 24, 2025 - Nearly a decade ago, when sent a copy of her late, wayfaring grandfather’s journal, singer-songwriter Leslie Jordan knew that the treasure trove of poetry and wisdom would make its way into her musical story. Robert S. Gott, or Bobby as his friends & family knew him, left his young family in the 50's to run from his mistakes and to chase his muse. The dream of becoming a beatnik poet led him from Crawfordsville, Indiana, to El Paso, Texas, up to Provincetown, Massachusetts, and eventually out to the Golden Coast in El Cerrito, California. Riddled with guilt and chained to his addiction, Bobby narrated his way through life as “The Agonist.” He wrote short stanzas of evocative poetry, short stories of provocative men and women, and long journal entries about his love affair with alcohol and his brother's wife, Sylvia. With pages of typewritten entries, Jordan pieced together the story and set it to song with her beautifully melancholy Americana and roots sensibilities.
On April 25th, Bobby’s stories will see the light of day with Jordan’s release of The Agonist, a ten-song collection put together as not only a way to connect the thread of Jordan and Gott’s familial creativity but also to complete the journey of her lost and lonely grandfather. “All lives deserve redemption, even the messiest,” she says. “This is my attempt to create light from dark.” Produced by Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids, Joy Williams, Willie Watson) at Far Cry Studios in Los Angeles, The Agonist features guest appearances from The Milk Carton Kids, Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek, Watkins Family Hour), and Brittney Spencer as well as a host of the loosely-gathered genre's finest musicians. Layers of acoustic instrumentation and tangles of harmony create an intimate foundation for the stories to unfold with Jordan’s pristine voice evoking an emotion reemerging after two generations.
Today, Jordan released the first single from The Agonist, “The Fight.” Co-written with Sandra McCracken, “The Fight” began with one of Jordan’s grandfather’s pieces of the same title. “I knew I had to save it for my co-write with Sandra,” remembers Jordan. “I have long admired Sandra’s ability to tell a story in her songs with honesty and raw vulnerability.” When telling the heartbreaking story of a mother’s internal dialogue after she loses control and hits her son, the pair sat with Bobby’s words for a while, deciding what the story was about and how it made them feel. “I knew [Sandra] could help me capture the true intention of this piece—to find the lyrics within it and craft the song with me.”
The story Jordan’s grandfather wrote began with these two lines: “The rebellion was over, and she had sent him to wash-up. There comes a time when children must be made to realize limitations and authority.” McCracken took the visceral words and began to craft them into a brand-new song, revealing the first verse to Jordan:
“The rebellion was over
She sent him to wash his hands
She tried to reason with him
But he could not understand
There comes a time when you find the limit”
“I started singing the words along to the chords and it felt like we had caught lightning in a bottle,” remembers Jordan. Well after the song was completed and had been recorded in California, Jordan played the album mixes to her friend, fellow recording artist Brittany Spencer, in her car after lunch one afternoon. “I told her that I wasn’t finished yet with this song because it needed some harmonies on the chorus,” says Jordan. Spencer immediately raised her hand and said, “Can I do it??” With one more session of Spencer stacking vocal harmonies at Jordan’s home studio, “The Fight” was complete.
Fans can stream or purchase “The Fight” today at this link and stay up to date on The Agonist ahead of its April 25th release right here. If you're in Nashville, don't miss Jordan's album release show on April 30th at Analog at Hutton Hotel. Purchase tickets here or reply to this email to request a media pass.
The Agonist Tracklist:
The Agonist
The Fight
Athensville
Loved Me For A Little While
Truth or Consequence
Madonna of Sierra Madre
Golden Gate
Sometimes, Sylvia
Elegy
All Things (feat. The Milk Carton Kids)
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