Ruth Moody has covered a lot of musical territory during her solo career and the 20 years since she and her bandmates in the Wailin’ Jennys released their first album in 2004. Yet, her new solo album, Wanderer, opened a new songwriting frontier.
“I definitely explored some new territory,” says Moody, who will be performing in six states in late September and early October. “During the early days of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time in a creative flow, playing around with drop tunings on my guitar, and I think that opened me up to some new musical directions. These songs were written over the course of 10 years and chronicle my journey over the last decade, through loss and grief, new love, motherhood and many facets of self-discovery.”
Wanderer was a long time coming. Ten years have transpired since Moody – one-third of the Wailin’ Jennys — released her previous solo album These Wilder Things, which featured Mark Knopfler. A follow-up album had to wait, while Moody and her partner, multi-instrumentalist Sam Howard, welcomed a son, Woodson, into the world in 2016.
“I put the record on the back burner several times and felt a real urgency in the beginning of 2023 to get it done,” explains Moody, who was born in Australia, grew up in Winnipeg and now lives in Nashville and British Columbia. “The great thing about Nashville is it’s a music hub where music-making is just the language of the place. It makes recording fairly straightforward. There are so many options: countless professional and home studios and an endless list of musicians, engineers and producers to draw from.”
Past records took a lot of advance planning, but recording in Nashville was very different.
“In Nashville,” Moody says, “you can decide as you’re going along who you might want to, say, play pedal steel on a song or come in to sing harmony vocals, and then have it happen a few days later. If that person is not available, there’s someone else who will be a great fit.”
Moody’s core band on the record was comprised of “some dear friends and musical collaborators,” including Howard on bass, Moody says. “So, there was a lot that was already set, but I think the record was still influenced by the Nashville ethos. My co-producer, Dan Knobler, is a great Nashville producer and engineer, and he brought a lot to the table. He keeps things moving and doesn’t deliberate too much. This was helpful, because decisions can be tough for me. One of my goals was to do everything live for this record and not get too perfectionistic. I wanted the songs to feel like real performances — moments in time.”
Guitar wizard Anthony da Costa also played a big role on the album. At age 16, he was the warmup act before the Wailin’ Jennys in Tarrytown, New York, and, years later, played guitar on tours with the group and Moody.
“I can’t overstate how much he brought to the record,” Moody says. “His singular playing speaks for itself. But I think because he knows me so well and has been aware of my journey over the last few years, he really understood the landscape of these songs and brought a special sensitivity to them.”
I ask Moody to explain the pros and cons of touring solo versus touring with her Wailin’ Jennys mates Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse.
“It’s so different!” she exclaims. “The Jennys have such a strong following and fan base, especially in the U.S., and I feel fortunate that, usually when we tour, our shows are sold out. That takes a lot of pressure off.
“When I play solo, people don’t necessarily know that I’m a Jenny, so, in some regions, I’m starting from scratch getting my name out there,” Moody explains. “But that’s part of it. It makes the shows no less fun. I miss the Jennys when I play solo, because we have a lot of fun performing together. But it’s also really rewarding to do my own shows. I love the challenge of having to step into new roles. Because I am not sharing the front-person role, it definitely draws on some different sides of me as a performer. I am really enjoying digging deep in myself to find new strengths.”
Is a new Wailin’ Jennys album completed or in the offing?
“We are working on it!” Moody responds. “We have a lot of new songs ready to record and are getting together this fall to work on the rest of the material, so, fingers crossed, it will be soon. Nicky and Heather are both mothers, too, and we have different things we are balancing in our lives, so it takes more planning than it used to.”
Which album by another artist does she cherish more than any other?
“Oh, that’s another hard one,” she answers. “There are so many. Off the top of my head, one album I’ve loved top to bottom is Secret World Live by Peter Gabriel. Magical Mystery Tour and Revolver by the Beatles were the soundtracks to my early childhood, so those have a special place in my heart. Most Joni albums are on the list. I think I love an album, because I lose myself in it. Time stops, and stress melts away. I forget to think or analyze. I feel a connection to something that can’t really be explained in words.”
The Wailin’ Jennys have made a dent in the American market, but there are so many other excellent Canadian artists whose albums have gone largely unheard by the U.S. audience. So, I ask Moody who are her favorite Canadian artists.
“When I was a teenager, I discovered Loreena McKennitt and fell in love with her voice and spirit,” she responds. “I also loved Sarah McLachlan, Blue Rodeo, Spirit of the West, the Tragically Hip, Ferron and Jane Siberry. And, of course, a little later, I found Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, and then life was forever changed. Currently, I feel lucky to call some of my favorite Canadian Artists friends: Rose Cousins, the Bros. Landreth, Suzie Ungerleider and the Fretless.”
A concert by McKennitt influenced Moody’s musical direction.
“Hearing her for the first time at the Winnipeg Folk Festival when I was 14 planted the Celtic music seed,” Moody recalls. “I was taking classical voice lessons but coming to terms with the fact that I didn’t really have an operatic voice. Hearing her made me realize that my voice was more suited to Celtic and folk music. That opened up a new world for me and helped me find my niche. Also, she was from Morden, Manitoba — right next door! And she had started her own record label, which was very inspiring. At that time, though, I didn’t know how significant that actually was, because I hadn’t yet had any experience with the industry.”
I mention to Moody that Blue Rodeo has been my favorite band for many years. Despite a huge Canadian following and a vast catalog of albums that date back to 1987, the band remains largely unknown in the United States.
“I’ve actually never met them!” Moody exclaims. “We’ve played some of the same festivals over the years but have never crossed paths. I first heard them in high school when ‘After the Rain’ and ‘Lost Together’ were big hits on the radio. I eventually bought all their records. Their music transports me instantly back to that time.”
Coming back to the current moment and her life in Tennessee, I ask Moody whether the political and social turmoil in the USA, and the mounting toll of firearm fatalities, have changed her view of America. Has it made her more cautious or made her think twice about working in this country?
“The gun-violence crisis and extremist firearm culture are very disturbing,” she responds. “The fact that rising school shootings haven’t been enough to bring change is mind-boggling to me. We were in Nashville in March 2023 during the Covenant School shooting, which was absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying for our community. A person who had been diagnosed with mental illness and was in active treatment was still able to buy the assault weapons and ammunition they used that day. The legislature’s response was not to propose any Red Flag laws or additional background checks but rather to pass a law allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons without having to notify parents or kids. It is insane.
“The right-wing guns-everywhere agenda only creates more death and devastation,” Moody adds. “However, the vast majority of Americans want common sense gun legislation and change. And change is possible even against seemingly impossible odds — history has shown us that. There are brave people, like my mother-in-law, fighting every day for change through organizations such as Everytown and Moms Demand Action. There are things we can do, and now is the time to join the fight.”
I mention the popularity of Donald Trump, who is running for president after 34 felony convictions and two impeachments by the House of Representatives, and ask Moody for her thoughts about where America is headed and its future.
“It’s astounding that so many people support him,” she says. “The media and social media have obviously been factors in this. There are many aspects of America that feel broken. On the other hand, the American people I meet are generally great! I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but the pendulum has always swayed back and forth, and we will see change. As Nicky, my fellow Wailin’ Jenny, likes to say, ‘there is more good than bad in the world,’ and I believe wholeheartedly that that is true.”
Moody’s optimism is catchy. I suggest to her that we move away from the heavy political, social and safety topics, and I ask her how fulfilled she feels today with her career as a musician.
“I have loved singing for as long as I can remember, and I feel so grateful to be able to travel around and sing for people,” she says. “I feel like I am part of a very special and sometimes mystical conversation. Of course, performing and the creative part make up only about 5% of the work. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. You do it, because there is some part of you that is so drawn to it that you can’t do anything else. You almost have to be obsessed with it.
“As you grow older,” Moody adds, “maybe that shifts a little. Being a parent has obviously brought other priorities to the forefront and changed my sense of purpose. It’s definitely not the easiest way to make a living, and that becomes more of a consideration when you have another life that you are responsible for. But, in terms of fulfillment, I still feel a spiritual connection when I sing that makes me feel like that is what I am meant to be doing. So, I will do it for as long as I can and for as long as my body lets me!”