Snail Mail (musician)

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Snail Mail
Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail performing in 2019
Background information
Birth nameLindsey Erin Jordan
Born (1999-06-16) June 16, 1999 (age 24)[1]
OriginEllicott City, Maryland, U.S.
GenresIndie rock
Years active2015 (2015)–present
Labels
Websitesnailmail.band

Snail Mail is the American indie rock solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Erin Jordan (born June 16, 1999). Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Jordan first performed as Snail Mail live in 2015 at the age of 15, and attracted attention with the EP Habit in 2016. After signing with Matador Records, Snail Mail released her debut studio album, Lush (2018), to critical acclaim. In 2021, Snail Mail followed up with her second album, Valentine, to further critical recognition.

Jordan was named the 242nd greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.[2]

Early life[edit]

Lindsey Erin Jordan was raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore.[3] Her mother is a lingerie store owner and her father works for a textbook publisher.[4] Jordan had a Roman Catholic upbringing.[5] She started playing guitar at the age of 5,[6] and became captivated by the punk scene as a teenager.[7] At the age of 8, Jordan saw Paramore live on the Riot! tour. She cited the experience as a "big moment" that inspired her to eventually form her own band.[6][8] She played guitar for a church band and a jazz band at school.[9] She started writing her own songs at around 12 and began booking her own sets at restaurants and coffee shops.[4][10] In 2018, Jordan was admitted to St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn, but chose not to attend in order to focus on her career.[11]

Career[edit]

Snail Mail performing at the Thing Festival in 2019, with drummer Ray Brown in the background

Jordan released her self-recorded solo EP Stick in 2015 with her new band as Snail Mail.[12] She was joined by Ryan Vieira playing bass and Shawn Durham on the drums.[13] In October 2015, Snail Mail performed her first live show at Baltimore's Unregistered Nurse festival alongside Sheer Mag, Screaming Females and Priests. The set attracted the attention of Priests, who subsequently recruited Jordan to their label Sister Polygon Records.[12][14][15] After completing one short DIY tour in July 2016, Snail Mail released her first full EP Habit via Sister Polygon, produced by Priests' G.L. Jaguar and Coup Sauvage and the Snips's Jason Sauvage.[14][16] The six-track EP received considerable coverage from the indie press.[13][16] Pitchfork included the EP's opening track, "Thinning", in their "Best New Track" series.[17]

Snail Mail, supported by bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, toured North America extensively in 2017 supporting Priests, Girlpool, Waxahatchee and Beach Fossils.[18][19] In September 2017, Jordan signed with Matador Records and performed her first Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music.[20] Snail Mail's first headlining tour began in January 2018.[21] Snail Mail's debut full-length album Lush was released on June 8, 2018, to generally positive reviews from music critics.[22][23] In 2019, she toured New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US, playing with artists such as Mac Demarco and Thundercat.[24][25] In June 2019, Snail Mail released a new version of their song "Pristine" in Simlish for the new EA game The Sims 4: Island Living.[26] That same month Matador Records digitally reissued Habit, featuring a cover of "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by the band Courtney Love, headed by American musician Lois Maffeo.[27]

Snail Mail released her second album, Valentine, on November 5, 2021.[28] The album received widespread critical acclaim and appeared on multiple 2021 year-end lists.[29] Regarding Valentine, Jordan stated: "Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail."[30]

Her original set of US and UK tour dates were also set to begin in November 2021, but Jordan called off the tour shortly before it began due to her finding massive polyps in her vocal cords that needed to be operated on to prevent permanent damage to her voice.[31]

In November 2022, Jordan announced through Variety that she would bring a hometown festival to Baltimore in early 2023 called "Snail Mail's Valentine Fest."[32] The five-night run of shows will take place at the city's Ottobar venue, with a lineup of special guests that Jordan curated herself, and she told Variety that there are "some fucking insane bands on there."[32]

Snail Mail was part of the lineup for the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023.[33]

In September 2023, Snail Mail announced a new EP Valentine (Demos), a collection of four previously-unreleased demo tracks that were recorded in the process of making the Valentine album.[34] The announcement was accompanied by the release of Easy Thing, one of the four tracks from the EP.[34] The full EP was released on November 3, 2023.[35]

Style and influences[edit]

Snail Mail's music has been described as indie rock,[3] and alternative rock.[18] While earlier Snail Mail releases were noted for their spare, lo-fi guitar-driven sounds,[9][28] Valentine embraced a richer sonic palette, incorporating synthesizers, strings and samples.[28] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times noted Jordan's unconventional sense of melody and a preference for "murky" effects pedals, both exhibiting influences of 1990s indie rock.[36] Her lyricism has been noted for its candid and introspective nature.[18] Regarding her songwriting process, Jordan stated, "I have a really hard time writing from any place other than complete honesty within myself."[5]

Jordan has cited Hayley Williams of Paramore, Liz Phair and Avril Lavigne as her idols and major musical inspirations.[3][37] Her other influences include Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Elliott Smith, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, My Bloody Valentine and Sheer Mag.[9][38][39][15] Jordan has named Mary Timony her favorite guitarist, and received guitar lessons from Timony herself.[15] Other guitarists who had inspired her include Marnie Stern, Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn and Mark Kozelek.[9]

Personal life[edit]

Jordan is openly gay. In an interview with The New Zealand Herald, Jordan stated that while coming out as gay "really developed who I am as a person", she "hated having to answer questions about being a woman and being gay and being young. All of it, to me, has nothing to do with the music."[40] As of September 2021, she lives in New York City.[5]

Accompanying band[edit]

Current members

  • Lindsey Jordan – vocals, guitar
  • Alex Bass – bass
  • Ray Brown – drums

Past members

  • Blaise O'Brien – keyboards, percussion, guitar (2022–2023)
  • Benjamin Kaunitz – guitar, backing vocals (2021–2023)
  • Madeline McCormack - keyboards, guitar (2019–2022)
  • Daniel Butko - guitar (2018)
  • Ian Eylanbekov – guitar (2018)
  • Kelton Young - guitar, backing vocals (2018)

Discography[edit]

Snail Mail discography
Studio albums2
Music videos2
EPs5
Singles9

Studio albums[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[41] 		US
Alt
[42] 		US
Indie
[43] 		US
Rock
[44] 		AUS
[45] 		NZ
Heat
[46] 		SCO
[47] 		UK
[48] 		UK
Indie
[49]
Lush —[A] 20 11 43 — 10 — —[B] 20
Valentine
  • Released: November 5, 2021
  • Label: Matador
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
 61 7 10 6 35 — 7 35 3

Extended plays[edit]

Title Album details
Sticki
  • Released: May 8, 2015
  • Label: Dog Belly
  • Format: cassette, digital download
Habit
  • Released: July 12, 2016
  • Label: Sister Polygon, Matador
  • Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming
Snail Mail on Audiotree Live
  • Released: June 15, 2017
  • Label: Audiotree Music
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Spotify Singles
  • Released: June 29, 2022
  • Label: Matador
  • Format: Streaming
Valentine (Demos)
  • Released: November 3, 2023
  • Label: Matador
  • Format: Vinyl, digital download, streaming

Singles[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[53] 		US
Alt
[54]
"Pristine" 2018 — — Lush
"Heat Wave" — —
"Let's Find an Out" — —
"The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World" 2019 — — Habit
"Valentine" 2021 23 32 Valentine
"Ben Franklin" — —
"Madonna" — —
"Adore You" (Valentine Demo) 2022 — — Valentine (Demos)
"Easy Thing" 2023 — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Music videos[edit]

Title Year Director
"Valentine" 2021 Josh Coll
"Ben Franklin"

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Lush did not enter the US Billboard 200 but did peak at number two on the Heatseekers Albums chart[50] and number 42 on the Top Album Sales chart.[51]
  2. ^ Lush did not enter the UK Albums Chart but peaked at number 95 on the UK Album Downloads Chart.[52]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Association Category Nominated Work Result Ref
2019 Libera Awards Best Rock Record Lush Nominated [55]
Best Breakthrough Artist Nominated
2022 Record of the Year Valentine Nominated [56]
Best Alternative Rock Record Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ Steinkopf-Frank, Hannah (June 12, 2018). "5 must-see concerts in Chicago this week: Snail Mail, Sir the Baptist, Peach Kelli Pop". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Hunt, El (October 8, 2021). "Snail Mail: "It's awesome seeing lots of women and queer people in music"". NME. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Ganz, Caryn (May 16, 2018). "An Indie-Rock Star at 18? Snail Mail Is Figuring It Out". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Moreland, Quinn (September 21, 2021). "Snail Mail Can't Help But Confess". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Woolever, Lydia (May 25, 2018). "Lindsey Jordan is Ready For Her Close-Up". Baltimore. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  7. ^ McDermott, Patrick (June 28, 2017). "The Old-School Beauty Of Snail Mail's Suburban Slowcore". The Fader. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  8. ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 14, 2018). "Snail Mail, Teenage Indie Rock Wunderkind, Bursts From 'the Era of Shred'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d O'Neill, Lauren (January 23, 2018). "Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan Is Ready to Fucking Shred". Vice. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  10. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (May 29, 2018). "Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan on writing about love: 'It's good to be vulnerable, but not pathetic'". The Independent. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  11. ^ Yakas, Ben (June 7, 2018). "A Conversation With Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan, Indie Rock's Rookie Of The Year". Gothamist. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Callahan, James (May 16, 2017). "Slow and Steady: Snail Mail is making moves". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Moreland, Quinn (July 27, 2017). "Snail Mail: Habit EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Baitz, Alison (July 21, 2016). "Snail Mail's 17-Year-Old Frontwoman Quickly Delivers An EP". WAMU. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Pelly, Jenn (March 1, 2017). "Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan Is the Wisest Teenage Indie Rocker We Know". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Trans-global punk scenes : the punk reader. Volume 2. Russell Bestley, Michael Dines, Paula Guerra, Alastair Gordon. Bristol, UK. 2021. ISBN 978-1-78938-339-3. OCLC 1239322894.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. ^ Mashurova, Nina (January 30, 2017). ""Thinning" by Snail Mail". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  18. ^ a b c Donelson, Marcy. "Snail Mail Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  19. ^ Krol, Charlotte (January 2, 2018). "Snail Mail's precociousness powers an engine of infectious indie rock". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  20. ^ Sodomsky, Sam (September 15, 2017). "Snail Mail Signs to Matador, Performs "Tiny Desk Concert" for NPR: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  21. ^ Sacher, Andrew (November 1, 2017). "Snail Mail & Lomelda announce 2018 tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  22. ^ Richards, Will (February 13, 2018). "Stand and deliver: Snail Mail". DIY Magazine. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  23. ^ "Coming June 8 : Snail Mail – 'Lush'". Matador Records. March 22, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Review – Mac DeMarco Sipped On Red Rocks Like A Tasty Domestic Beer". 303 Magazine. October 8, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  25. ^ "Snail Mail". Bandsintown. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  26. ^ Minsker, Evan (June 21, 2019). "Snail Mail Sings "Pristine" in "Simlish" for "The Sims 4: Island Living": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  27. ^ Minsker, Evan (June 24, 2019). "Snail Mail Reissues Debut EP Habit". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  28. ^ a b c Hunt, El (November 2, 2021). "Snail Mail – 'Valentine' review: a beautiful progression from her influential debut". NME. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  29. ^ Dietz, Jason (December 1, 2021). "Best of 2021: Music Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  30. ^ ""Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail. Thank you for sticking with me and trusting me, as I turn the page into the new chapter of The Book of Snail Mail." -LJ". Twitter.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  31. ^ "Snail Mail details her recovery from vocal cord surgery: "You don't really think about how much you need your voice"". NME. February 15, 2022.
  32. ^ a b "Snail Mail Announces Five-Night Hometown 'Valentine Fest' in Baltimore (EXCLUSIVE)". November 9, 2022.
  33. ^ "Coachella 2023 Weekend 2 Lineup & Schedule: All the Set Times You Need to Know". Pitchfork. April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  34. ^ a b "Snail Mail Announces Valentine (Demos) EP, Shares New Song "Easy Thing"". Pitchfork. September 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Fabris, Andres (November 6, 2023). "Snail Mail Goes Intimate With "Valentine (Demos)" EP". Music Daily. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  36. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail Turns a Bleeding Heart Into a Spectacular Album". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  37. ^ Havens, Lindsey. "Not So 'Complicated': How Avril Lavigne Became an Unlikely Inspiration To Indie Rock's New Wave". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  38. ^ Curto, Justin (December 7, 2021). "Lindsey Jordan's Long, Bumpy Road to Creative Control of Snail Mail". Vulture. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  39. ^ Armour, Casandra (November 8, 2021). "COVER STORY: Snail Mail Delivers the Quintessential Post-Breakup Album". Performer. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  40. ^ Fenwick, George (March 6, 2019). "Snail Mail on heartbreak, queerness, and her debut Downunder". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  41. ^ "Billboard 200 – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  42. ^
  43. ^
  44. ^
  45. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Snail Mail – Valentine". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  46. ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  47. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 – November 12, 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100 – November 12, 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  49. ^
  50. ^ "Heatseekers Albums – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  51. ^ "Top Album Sales – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  52. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100 – June 15, 2015". Official Charts. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  53. ^ Peaks on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart:
  54. ^ devops (January 2, 2013). "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  55. ^ Courtney, Ian (March 28, 2019). "Nominees Announced For A2IM's 2019 Libera Awards". CelebrityAccess. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  56. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 23, 2022). "Japanese Breakfast, Jason Isbell, Arlo Parks Lead Indie-Music Collective A2IM's 2022 Libera Awards Nominees". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2022.

External links[edit]

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