Jackie Lynn Breaks Down “Jacqueline” Track by Track

The album is out today on Drag City—here’s what Haley Fohr has to say about the songs.
Track by Track
Jackie Lynn Breaks Down “Jacqueline” Track by Track

The album is out today on Drag City—here’s what Haley Fohr has to say about the songs.

Words: Kim March

photo by Evan Jenkins

April 10, 2020

Jackie Lynn is the alter-ego of singer-songwriter Haley Fohr, best known for her indie folk project Circuit des Yeux. Lynn’s self-titled debut came out in 2016, and on her sophomore effort Jacqueline she has returned alongside a band consisting of Cooper Crain, Rob Frye, and Dan Quinlivan of Bitchin Bajas.

The premise of Jackie Lynn’s new chapter is a world in which lies are not tolerated; each lie that has been told throughout human history is crystallized into a salt form, which populate the earth’s surface like barnacles beneath a boat. When Jackie wakes up abandoned in this strange terrain, she jumps into the cab of a truck and becomes “Jacqueline,” a badass long-haul truck driver. Each track on Jacqueline depicts a day in lonely life of introspection. 

Jacqueline is out April 10 via Drag City. Get it here

1.“Casino Queen”

This song is a meditation on manifesting your own luck. The song is an attempt to rewrite my own inner character cast in this game of life. I hope that it can help both me, and the listener align our inner role from under-dog to winner.

2. “Shugar Water”

This song is a meditation on seeing others in yourself. I wrote this song while on the road with wheels turning beneath my feet. It was after an evening of successfully seeking refuge in the company of others. Perhaps it is a sonic reminder to trust the people around you and don’t worry about the rest.

3. “Dream Street” 

The intention of this song is to celebrate the delight in a familiar stretch of life. It is the space in which all things analogous are working in an effortless way. This song was  also written for Ogden Drive, in Chicago IL, which is my favorite street in the city.

4. “Short Black Dress”

Short Black Dress is an homage to the self-empowering article of clothing. This archetype leans on the SBD (Short Black Dress), but it could apply to anything…for me it is the color “red”—more specifically a pair of red overalls that I wear when painting. In this outfit, I feel my most powerful and true in nature.

5. “Lenexa”

Lenexa is a lullaby written for the night time driver. While writing I had the image in my head of the last semi pulling into the port as dusk turns into night…a cell phone on low battery… This song is an ode to the silent messengers driving throughout the night to deliver us our special packages & carrying our most intimate secrets.

6. “Odessa”

There is so much terrain to traverse, but sometimes taking a step fills me with anxiety. So much of one’s progress is at the cost of another’s destruction. This song was designed to make people move, perhaps an anthem as the antidote to a ruminating thought.

7. “Traveler’s Code of Conduct”

This song is a sound poem that offers functional advice to those who decide to take a long-term road trip.

8. “Diamond Glue”

This song depicts the scene of a drive through an impoverished desert town.  The scene is one of a life in recession. A single mother cools off near the road in a plastic kiddie pool while her two toddlers play nearby.

9. “Control”

This was the last song written for the album.  It is a meditation on driving as a means of feeling control.  It is an effort to remain grounded in an otherwise chaotic, crumbling world. The Earth may be turning, but I am standing still.