We talked about this a little bit before, but you said the singles remind you of summer and the rest of the LP reminds you of fall because of the release schedule. Can we get into that a little bit more? How did the singles shape the last couple of months for you, and how do you anticipate the full album to define the fall/winter?

Jordan: I think I more so was grouping them that way by their aesthetic/mood if that makes sense. How I visualize them in my head. The singles (though some are darker and more introspective) all have either a major chord feel or are pretty upbeat. I consider at least 3 of them to be “windows down cruisin’” songs and the other two still have a little bit of a lighter/summer feel in my view. The songs that I left for the full album release definitely get a bit darker and a couple are far slower… The album ender in particular is a 6 and a half minute slow burn that eventually builds to a long instrumental as sort of a closing credit to the album. I couldn’t see anything like that being a single, nor a summer jam.

As far as how the singles shaped the last couple months for me… They got me through. This whole project has gotten me through. I have felt quite useless sitting at home without touring. Touring defined me… felt like my purpose. To not have that… I felt quite lost at times and to have these releases to look forward to has been huge for my own mental well-being. The recording process too, of course. So, the two halves of the album (summer and fall) don’t necessarily define those seasons or time periods for me… The album as a whole defines this mess of a year for me. It provided me with hope and I really hope it can do the same for others.

Now that the full album is out, can you share which of the songs is your favorite/means the most to you? What was the most difficult to put together, both technically and emotionally?

Jordan: My favorite is still the title track. I love that it feels like 7 different sections when really there is a consistent thematic quality that never waivers. I think it is one of the more cinematic songs I’ve ever written which might be why I love it the most. The closing song that I was alluding to above ended up being one of my favorites too. What started as just a simple 3-minute acoustic song (just me and guitar) turned into this really long-winded beautiful outro. I had Shane Woods, Jeff Lucci, Kirby Sybert, and our friend Aaron West of Quiet Hollers out of Louisville, KY play on it (Aaron played remotely). So it kind of feels like the ultimate trading off and weaving of instruments like we have always tried to do in our live show as Mo Lowda when we go off the books. I love how it turned out. I asked Aaron to just do his thing and lay down some strings (on violin and viola) and he sent back 21 tracks for us to choose from. That was a really fun process to sift through for Shane and me, and a challenge to really find what we like and where they should come in and out.

What is the overarching theme of the album that you hope listeners take away from the full product? The singles sort of had stand-alone messages, but what, overall, are you trying to say?

Jordan: I think the theme is right in the title. Happiness is only real when shared. Find the people you love, whether it is platonically, familial or romantic… and just love the shit out of them… which means going through a lot and LEARNING how to share that happiness. It is not always the easiest task. So whether some of these songs are about horrible breakups or heartache or whatever… they still link back to that idea. Carving out your own little crew on this earth and relishing in their company until we’re gone.

You said you were most excited to promote the last single - how did that go? Why that one in particular? Marketing reasons or personal reasons?

Jordan: With “Back Then,” I felt like I had written a song that I had been trying to accomplish for years. It is a complete story in my opinion. I think it is something that a lot of folks have dealt with either in their own life or being around people whose relationship followed a similar trajectory (parents, siblings, friends, etc.) You truly never know which song people will latch onto the most… you never do. I’ve been wrong 1,000 times with Mo Lowda songs so I’ve learned that even if I think it is the most marketable one, that may not be the case. Also, the almighty algorithm is king… I don’t know if we even as consumers have full say in which song we’re supposed to like at this point haha.

This is similar to question 2, but what are you most proud of?

Jordan: I think I’m just most proud of going out on a limb and putting some really honest shit out there. There is no hiding behind anything with a release like this… no band name that it is out under… no other real factors in the studio besides me (and of course Shane producing, but he really let me run with it). I think that was a daunting and intimidating feeling when I first started planning for this release. I really had to trust myself. That being said, I am happy with the product… It’s real. And if not everyone likes it - that is real too. And that is okay. That is all part of choosing a profession that is quite literally based on opinions… the public’s opinion of your art… and in turn, you as an artist. It is not for everyone. I think I’ve learned a lot about what to take to heart… especially as I am getting a bit older. I'm not a kid playing house shows anymore like “if we play loud and with a ton of energy it will land” because everyone was wasted (including me). It is so fun to look back on those days… but it is even more fun to really push ourselves at this point in our careers to make thorough, meaningful, thoughtful records and then rehearse our asses off to make them hit live. I rambled there … but that’s where I’m at.

We need to talk about “Alaska” - tell us everything about that song. It’s the equivalent of “Crescent Moon” off Ready Coat. That subtle sad slap in the face out of nowhere.

Jordan: Love a good subtle sad slap in the face. I think it is definitely this album’s “Crescent Moon.” That is one song on this record that I never went back and edited at all. I wrote it in one sitting and it felt right. I did however just plan on making it a very stripped-down acoustic song… But, one night while jamming with Shane he started playing that sort of backbeat brush groove over it and I was like damn… I never heard it that way but I love that. So we let the song build until it’s more than halfway in before the drums drop but I think it’s worth the wait. That is my favorite single little one-second moment on the album. Jeff Lucci added all those atmospheric textures on the Rhodes one night with me at his studio and almost brought me to tears a couple of times. It is funny to look at that song now and think that I wanted it to be free of all the other instrumentation originally. I guess that is just called surrounding yourself with incredible musicians that you trust.

The story itself was based on a brief encounter I had with a lady on tour last year. I had been in this mind state for 3 years in which I wouldn’t let anyone in, really. I wanted to be independent and focus on myself and the band and quite frankly I didn’t believe I could make a good partner at that time. It ended up not working out with this girl… in fact, we never even really got close to that point in so many ways. But, what it did do was make me realize that maybe I was ready for something real again… I put that in my back pocket and moved into another chapter for myself I think.

Now that the album is finally out, is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

Jordan: Good question. The answer is ALWAYS yes. Any artist who spends enough time with something like this is lying if they say “YUP it’s perfect it’s the best it could’ve ever been. I’m somewhere between a raging perfectionist and “feel and emotive quality matter most.” There will always be a word or two that I think I could’ve sung better… vocal takes that I liked and then I listen 2 weeks later and I’m like “man, that could’ve been cleaner” or “that was a little much.” But I can confidently say I wouldn’t change any of the songwriting on this record and that is most important to me.

One major difference between this album and your other releases under Mo Lowda is that there really aren’t too many heavy instrumentals for your voice to fall behind. It’s kind of just you on display. Were you nervous about having to rely more on your songwriting/lyrics since they are more in focus?

Jordan: I don’t think I was nervous about that. I’ve gotten to a point with my voice where I feel really comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed using different ways to stack and layer my voice and I think I’ve been blessed with a bit of a unique quality/texture to it when I sing very quietly and double the vocals. When I’m writing songs, I know exactly where I can go with the production already and will write melodies with that in mind. I didn’t always like my voice and I think I’ve overcompensated at times… so it was fun to sort of “settle in” on this record. I tried to showcase just about every different way I can use my voice on this record… from low, layered, airy type stuff… a couple of howls and screams… and some falsetto shit. Always room for improvement… but I’ve been singing since I was 13 and I have spent a lot of time trying to learn its limitations.

We asked you this question towards the beginning of the series, and I want to see if your answer/opinion has changed - Is happiness only real when shared?

Jordan: Yes yes yes. And so is this album.

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Jordan Caiola Settles Into His Sound and Himself on Debut LP, "Only Real When Shared"