Loretta Miller (JAZZPARTY) and Ruby Jones reunite musically for the first time since their former group Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes [CBBR] disbanded to release their much-anticipated collaborative single, ‘Eighteen’. Fusing rock n roll, soul and Americana, ‘Eighteen’ reflects on Miller and Jones’s raucous rock n roll past touring around the globe, alongside the highs and lows of growing up in an industry that becomes increasingly hostile to women as they age.
Jones elaborates, “Ultimately, ‘Eighteen’ is a rollicking and anthemic celebration of female friendship on the road. Being on tour as a female musician is a unique experience and one that isn’t often reflected in music in the way men’s stories are, so we were keen to explore this, while addressing the sombre reality of ageism and misogyny within the music industry.”
Blending Jones’s signature searing vocals with Miller’s country-soul twang, ‘Eighteen’ is a flawless revival of the pair’s supernatural-seeming ability to weave their voices together while maintaining their distinctive timbres.
Miller elaborates on her shared lead role, “When Ruby sent me the initial verse, I immediately loved it and responded with my take on the lyrics. Ruby and I haven’t sung together since we were little ratbag backing vocalists in Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes, so it feels quite magical to be working together again”. She continues, “It’s been a beautiful experience to create a piece of music collaboratively, that speaks to our shared experience as artists.”
The track’s writing process began somewhat nostalgically for Jones, at a piano, inspired by a lyric that came to her at a particularly contemplative time for women in music, “I had this lyric running around in my mind — ‘I know, I could do it with my eyes closed’ — which is about how at this point in my career, what causes me the most anxiety isn’t my ability as a songwriter, performer or vocalist, but the diminishing space the industry holds for women after they ‘age out’ at 25.”
Miller elaborates, “The song came to us at a time when we were both reflecting on our careers in music — how hard we’ve worked, how much experience we’ve gained, and how much we have to say and offer — however, we often feel like we’re only just getting started. We both have dreams of success in an incredibly challenging industry, and this song was born from the fire we have within to support each other on this difficult road.”
In her concluding words, Miller reflects on the uniqueness of her long-awaited musical collaboration with Jones, “Within popular music, there are very few female duets where the song is equally led and co-written by both parties. Singers don’t often work with other singers collaboratively; if they do, it tends to be a man and woman, or one artist is a guest on the other’s song.” She continues: “‘Eighteen’ is an equal portrayal of our shared experience as artists and an accumulation of our feelings around the reality of being a female musician.”
