Organic and authentic, with stunningly beautiful harmonies, the music of The Magnolia Janes – a duo composed of singer-songwriters Ashley Riley and Sarah Bonsignore – is the stuff dreams are made of. With lyrical depth and grace, and accompanied by sounds that float in the shared space of a musical Venn diagram of Americana, folk, indie pop, and roots rock, the songs are rich and rewarding. We sat down with this talented twosome recently to talk about what has quickly become a favorite new album of ours, their recently released debut, “The Light Years.”
Hi, Magnolia Janes! Sarah and Ashley, you have a terrific new album out called “The Light Years.” How did these songs come together and what broad strokes can you tell us about the collection?
Ashley: Thank you so much, we really appreciate that, and, to be honest, these songs all came together really naturally.
Sarah: Yes, after writing for a while, we started recording our songs and soon realized we had a whole album on our hands, so we kept going!
Ashley: We met at a songwriting retreat in 2017. Over the course of the weekend, we kept being paired up into co-writing sessions with the two of us and another writer or sometimes two. We had so much fun working with each other that we continued writing songs over the next couple years, and that led to traveling together to attend music conferences, and from there we started singing harmonies for each other when we would showcase at different events. So, these songs were born out of an admiration of each other’s talents and connecting through music. Many of the themes of the songs are about connection and the collective human experience, and I think the way that our musical connection evolved into a duo allowed for those themes to happen authentically.
One of the songs on your new album, “The Sun in my Backyard,” is really great and stood out to me. What can you tell us about this song? What inspired you to write it and what is it about?
Ashley: This is such a special song. Sometimes we think we have to travel the world to experience beauty and wonder, but this song is a reminder that there is beauty in our own backyards if we stop and appreciate it. I know during 2020 and the years that followed, we turned our backyard into our own little oasis, so it rings true for me!
Sarah: Having grown up in South Africa, I do get homesick from time to time, but when I take time to pause and reflect in my backyard in Tennessee, I feel closer to my roots. The birds, the sunlight, the cut grass, and the sounds of nature all remind me so much of my childhood backyard, and it helps me to be grateful for the simple things.
What was it like recording this album overall? What was the vibe in the studio, and how did this song, in particular, come together?
Sarah: We actually recorded some of our songs remotely in our home studios; I would work on parts and send them to Ashley to add her guitars and vocals and vise versa. When we got the songs as close to finished as we could, we would enlist our talented friends to add anything we felt the songs still needed. This song was totally organic in the way we arranged it, and I think we always knew it didn’t need much to bring it to life. We hosted a house concert for ClimateMusic with Will Kimbrough, and he started playing and singing along. His guitar swells and vocal harmony made it impossible for us not to ask him to play on the record, and we’re so glad he obliged!
Ashley: Sarah wrote this song with Bill DiLuigi, who we both wrote “Stone on the Road” with, and as soon as I heard it, I was all in. We loved the idea of singing in three-part harmony on such an intimate, acoustic moment.
What do you hope this album conveys to those who listen to it?
Sarah: When life is hard and hearts are broken, it can feel hopeless to navigate this world. We hope this album will encourage people to seek the beauty that is all around us. A simple sunset, a cool breeze on a warm day. There is a lot to be grateful for, and taking the time to embrace the simple things and look for the good in life and in people can change a person’s outlook.
Ashley: I agree, and I hope that these songs inspire people to be creative and collaborative in their lives, and also that they play them on repeat on all the platforms and share them with their friends. 😉
Since you started out, how has your songwriting changed — both musically and lyrically? Do different things inspire you now? Where do you tend to get your biggest inspiration from these days?
Ashley: For me, I think that my songwriting has evolved into broader themes than when I first started out. I’m in a different, more settled, and maybe less reactive place in my life, so I’m not really writing about awful love relationships or as many sad songs as I did in my earlier songwriting years. I actually like the challenge that presents to me, because I used to think that all happy songs had an element of cheesiness to them, and I’m enjoying proving myself wrong. I find my songs, and a lot of the ones on this album, to be more about time, slowing down, and experiences I’ve had in life. I also do a lot more co-writing these days and find that I really love helping other artists dig a little deeper into what they’re trying to express.
Sarah: I feel the same way as Ashley regarding my evolving process. In my twenties, it was all about those intense love songs and the heartbreak songs that followed the inevitable breakups. I also started out my creative journey writing dozens of songs about the loss of my brothers. Music was my sanctuary and offered me so much healing, and my piano became a sounding board for my heart. In my thirties, it was all about songs for my husband and young children, and, boy, there are many. I’m pretty sure I have a wedding album in me just waiting to break out, ha ha. But these days I love writing with a broader lens, and I especially love writing our “Janes” songs, mostly fueled with lyrics that, hopefully, offer positivity and connection. I also teach over a hundred young children a week, and hearing them sing the songs I’ve written specifically for them is another tremendously rewarding aspect of my songwriting journey.
Songwriting can be a really personal endeavor. Is it tough to share that stuff that usually might be private if you weren’t writing a song about it? Does unveiling the songs publicly, when you release a single or an EP or album, make you anxious, or is it cathartic to have the songs out there?
Ashley: That’s so true. Songwriting is so personal. I don’t get nervous like I used to when releasing new music, but we’ve been playing these songs out at shows for the last year and I do think that helps. Most of these songs have been crowd-tested, and we’ve been lucky that people are like, “Where can I hear this again? Is it recorded?” So I’m really excited that now we can share all of these songs we’ve worked so hard on. It feels good. There are some that I get a little emotional about when we play them live and that’s the harder part for me. I’m a bit of a softy, so it took me a good long while before I didn’t get teary on the bridge of “Speed of Life.”
Sarah: Yes, it can be a challenge when you are emotionally invested in songs that move you to tears as you write and then perform them. I usually have to sing a sad or heavy song dozens of times in private before I can hope to sing it live without breaking down. And then there’s still no guarantee I won’t tear up, because I’m human, and music has a way of taking us right back there to those moments that break our hearts. It’s so powerful and unique in that way, and I think that’s what makes it a gift to us all. Great songs can literally change the shape of our hearts.
It’s not uncommon for an artist or band to be working on something new while promoting an album. Do you have anything in the pipeline to follow this album? What’s next from The Magnolia Janes?
Ashley: We are both big dreamers, so we’ve always got so many ideas of things we want to do from hosting songwriting retreats to working with other artists, but we’re currently most excited to be playing shows to support the album. We do have a whole list of songs we’ve written for an EP, but I think the focus for the next little while will be getting out and connecting with people through live music. We love to have people sing along with us on songs like “Five More Minutes” and “Goodbye to Lonely.”
Got any tour plans? Where can fans see you on the road?
Ashley: We do! We’ve got a couple album release shows lined up in Nashville during our release week and a few festivals this August in my home state of Illinois. We’re in the process of booking shows for the fall and next spring, so be on the lookout for more dates being added to the tour calendar on our website.
Sarah: Yes, like Ashley said we are big dreamers, and we also love road trips. So, for me, I’d love to just get in a van and drive across the country to sing for and connect with folks everywhere. I also lived and taught in New York City and the tri-state area for many years, so that will be a fun place to revisit and perform.
Website & Social Media Links:
Website: https://themagnoliajanes.com/home
Instagram: https://instagram.com/themagnoliajanes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themagnoliajanesnter
