JOSH JENSEN
Q: Where did “Birdhouse” originate? Was there one specific moment that really ignited the idea for this song?
Birdhouse was inspired by a poem I penned in 2005 after an epic all night adventure in the town I was living in at the time, Bellingham, WA. The night culminated with me, unable to sleep and perched alone on the roof of my house, wielding a notebook and pen, and feeling inspired to write poetry as the birds began to sing and the clouds swirled overhead. A sun-drenched, birdsong moment was the original inspiration for the song Birdhouse.
Q: Lyrically, “Birdhouse” seems to reflect a journey of healing and self-discovery. How much of this song was pulled from personal experience?
When I wrote the poem that inspired Birdhouse in 2005, I recall feeling very introspective and hopeful. While repurposing the poem for Birdhouse, it brought me back to my old hometown of Bellingham, and the different phases of life that I went through while living there in my twenties. It really was a time of self-discovery for me, and it was fun for me to write a song that reflected back on that time through a more holistic lens.
Q: Recurring themes are very persistent through the song, but a major theme seems to be that of cycles; especially the line “we ease a little closer, to end up where we begin.” Can you elaborate on what that means to you?
Funny enough, I think the line in Birdhouse “we ease a little closer, to end up where we begin” was very literally written. That 2005 evening when I penned the poem that inspired Birdhouse, the night started at a house I was living at with several friends, some of whom this adventure started out with. Those friends also returned to the house the next morning after I was setting my notebook down from my rooftop writing session. When we saw each other, we all laughed and embraced and recounted the adventures that had unfolded over the course of the evening and walked across town to get breakfast.
Q: The metaphor of the birdhouse is very interesting. What does a “birdhouse” mean to you in the context of this song?
For me, “Birdhouse” in the context of this song refers to keeping your eyes and ears open to your surroundings, doing your best to understand the bigger picture of where you are at in life and how what you are doing ripples across the universe.
Q: I notice there’s a fair amount of juxtaposition in your lyrics – things turning into their opposites, catastrophe turning to laughter, for example. Is that something you often play with?
It sure is! My producer, Luke Rain, once commented to me that he noticed I really like to write in metaphors. When we are in the studio and working on a new song, he will occasionally pause the recording session and work with me on other ways to convey the message and how to make that message more accessible to the casual listener. It’s one of my favorite parts of the writing and recording process when we roll our sleeves up and work out music together.
Q: How relevant is it for you to write the lyrics, left open to interpretation? Would you want people to take meaning of their own from your songs?
Some of the great songwriters of our time have this innate ability to write so simply about complex human experiences and emotions in a way that is relatable and easy to take ownership of. As a songwriter, it thrills me to think about other people making my music personal for them and giving a song of mine their own meaning and purpose.
Q: Would you say that writing about painful or difficult experiences-as you seem to do in “Birdhouse”-is a cathartic process?
Writing is such an important salve the soul. I tasked myself this year with cultivating a daily writing habit – and have failed miserably. However, writing more frequently has helped my songwriting process and allowed me to process some painful or difficult experiences in such a healing way. I just wrote a song called City Lights that is based on a partial poem I wrote down that I never expected would turn into a full song. You never know what kind of inspiration you might give your future self through cultivating a consistent writing habit.
Q: Many of your lyrics seem to address the concept of returning to something familiar after a period of growth or healing. Is this theme of returning present in other songs of yours as well?
I think that this theme is fairly unique to Birdhouse. Returning to something familiar after a period of growth or healing was a theme in the 2005 poem I penned that inspired Birdhouse and it really carried out in the song in the best way.
Q: When writing the lyrics, as with, for example, “Birdhouse,” is it approached more as a piece of poetry or does the music and melody come to you along with the words?
My songwriting approach typically starts with being inspired by a theme or event and the music and melody is kneaded together with the words, like crafting a pot from clay. Writing Birdhouse was a really fun process because it took the theme of a poem I had written at a different time in my life and adapted those older concepts and ideas into a new song.
Q: As far as the lyrical side of your music is concerned, who do you find to be your biggest influences?
Musically, I can name more than a dozen artists that inspire me or provide inspiration for the instrumental part of my songwriting process. Lyrically, it is more difficult for me to pinpoint any specific influences. Most of my music is written on the spot, as inspiration strikes, or inspired by past poetry that I have written.
Q: Has your songwriting style changed over the years, or do you generally have the same approach to telling stories through your lyrics?
I would say that telling stories has been a consistent theme in my songwriting since I can remember. I get that from my Grandpa, Don Davis, who was a serial story teller that grew up in the Ozarks of Arkansas. He was always telling stories in his thick, southern accent to anyone who would listen. Sometimes you couldn’t really understand him through the accent and cigarette hanging from his lower lip, but he would belly laugh so hard right before the punchline that you couldn’t help but laugh with him. I find songwriting to be such a satisfying platform for expressing stories.
Q: “Birdhouse” seems to carry a very introspective tone. How do you go about preparing yourself mentally or emotionally when writing songs that are so reflective?
When I sit down to write, I try to clear my mind of the clutter and focus on creating something that may outlive me. On most of the songs I sit down to write, I end up woodshedding them so much that they become a part of my repertoire. I know other songwriters who write 3 or 4 songs a week and sometimes those songs never see the light of day. I guess I just don’t have that kind of time to dedicate to my creative outlets, so when I make time to write I know I need to make it count.
Q: Is there a specific message or emotion you want people to take with them while listening to “Birdhouse”?
When people listen to Birdhouse, I want them to interpret the song in a personal way, giving it more meaning with each listen. The song Birdhouse is poetry turned into art, and art is meant for interpretation.
Q: How would you balance your lyrics between personal storytelling and very universal themes? Is the goal to have a mix of those things?
I really like that you’re getting me to dive deep into how storytelling and themes are incorporated into my songwriting. I am currently working on an album that I hope to release in early 2025. So far, I have about 10 tracks that strike a pretty good balance between storytelling and universal themes – with a couple of instrumental pieces sprinkled in. To be honest, I have been experimenting with writing on themes more this year and it has been super fulfilling – my other recent single, Wanderlust Highway, was written on a theme and it was a really fun song to write and record.
Q: Is there a lyric from “Birdhouse” that stands out to you? Something you’re particularly proud of, or one that means the most?
A lyric from Birdhouse that I get a lot of comments on is “juxtapose catastrophe into laughter for my soul.” There’s a long story behind the sentiment of that lyric, but I feel like the intent and meaning behind it is universal. I would say that I am both particularly proud of that lyric and it means a lot to me for a myriad of reasons.
Q: What’s most important to you when songwriting, the words, melody, or the two of them marrying together?
That’s a really good question. While I do put a lot of weight on the words that I write; I am willing to sacrifice the original words to accommodate the melody. I love the challenge of reframing or revisioning the words to flow better with the music. There are so many creative ways one can go about trying to convey a feeling or a meaning in a song. You might have lyrics written for a song that flowed so perfectly as you were writing them, but when painting them across the canvas of a song, you have to consider how the colors blend; so applying different shades might be necessary and sometimes can be very rewarding.
Q: What comes next for you in regard to songwriting? Are there themes or topics you’re really looking forward to exploring in future songs?
In early 2022, I took a songwriting course with Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes). During the course, Robin explored the idea of writing songs that respond to a question. He said that when he writes music, it is often in response to a pondering that is burning in his mind. My song, “Ain’t Infinity”, was inspired by a question prompt and my question was, “What if I wrote a song for the soundtrack of the series Yellowstone?” It was a show that I was watching when I was rocking my infant son to sleep at night and I was inspired to write my first country song. I wrote out several themes and got to work crafting a song around those themes.
Something I would like to explore in future songwriting is coming up with a series of related questions and answering them with a series of songs in response to those questions that would form an EP or a part of an album. I think it would be fun to create a concept album in that way, even though it’s likely the songs would sound nothing alike!
