Jade Brodie: Making History
What better way to pass the time staring down the railroad tracks from the conductor’s seat than to write songs about it? Alt-country singer-songwriter Jade Brodie grew up in the Sonoma Valley region of California and now resides in the Northern Nevada town of Winnemucca. The town is named in the first line of the country classic “I’ve Been Everywhere” – recorded and made popular by Hank Snow in 1962. The rural area is home to one of the largest potato farming regions, services the gold mining industry, and holds a station on the First Transcontinental Railroad where Brodie now calls home.
Being one of the few female train conductors in the railroad industry, Brodie has found herself in a rare situation that is of somewhat historical importance since a train conductor position is typically held by men. So, Jade took this opportunity to showcase her circumstances in her latest release, “Making History,” which is available everywhere today.
Although her position on the railroad is unique, one theme that is common among all railroaders is the extended amount of time spent away from loved ones. Jade describes the necessity of working to support your family, but the family unit suffers because of the disconnect. It’s easy to find pride and dedication in your work; to work harder and longer hours to support those means. However, Brodie poses the question of "what does it mean if you're not here with me?" Oftentimes, there is resentment and discord between partners trying to find that balance between career and family. Brodie’s lyrics are striking to the listener that knows this all-too-often struggle of the blue collar hero. On a little plastic desk in the locomotive, Jade scribbles out three chords and her own poetic truth on the extra scraps of paper from work orders. All to the steady rhythm of the train rolling down the tracks.
“Daddy’s getting tired, all these nights alone / Mama hits the rails, gonna bring that money home / Daddy’s workin’ hard, tryna understand / Why mama works all night, don’t hold his hand / Chorus: What does it mean, you’re making history / What does it mean, you’re making history”
Motivated by the joy of playing songs for the dancing crowd in town or after a rodeo, she tries to write up-tempo numbers. Her formative years were shaped by blues and folk music, but Jade has found an appreciation for Honky Tonk music by listening to Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams Jr. and Sr., Ernest Tubb and Charley Pride.
As with most of the country in 2020, Brodie found herself furloughed from her full-time job on the railroad. She has shifted her focus until the furlough is lifted, but keeps writing and working towards putting out new music. She is currently working on a hay farm, is enrolled in a self-paced online vet tech school, and has been working at home with her horses. The video for “Making History” incorporates the themes of the song with scenes of her current hometown and the railroading way of life she lives. We see Brodie playing up both roles: dressed up in a jade green fringed leather dress, to a cap, Carhart jacket, and work boots.
Keep an eye out for upcoming projects from Jade Brodie. She is currently recording an acoustic album with Jae Nobody on fiddle for Loud As Folk's record club. Follow this link for club information: https://loudasfolk.com/recordclub That album is slated for release in a couple of months. Later in the year, Jade will be working on recording the full length album that was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Single & video credits:
Jade Brodie - Lyrics, vocals, acoustic guitar
John Courage - Producer and electric guitars
Francesco Echo - Bassist and video director
Dan Ford - Drums
Jae Nobody - Fiddle
Stuart Markham - Tracking and mixing at White Whale Recordings
Jennifer Laursen (Tilt Leather) - Wardrobe
Candace Lace - Hair and makeup
