Jackie Conn
Baking Day
Photo: Joe McBurnie
Jackie Conn brings her family history into focus with her debut album Baking Day. Gathering stories that have been passed down through the generations of Jackie's family from across the last two centuries, this album is a bit like a family heirloom rather than a just a record.
Jackie’s path to songwriting came later than you might usually expect. She spent her childhood singing in the backyard of her terraced house in Horden on the Durham coast, only finding her writing voice after spending time at workshops and retreats. One of those sessions led to a collaboration with songwriter Boo Hewerdine. Recognising the honesty in her approach Boo helped shape the title track 'Baking Day', a song that looks back on quiet Sundays Jackie spent with her mother, preparing food and keeping simple routines that have stayed with her to this day.
Jackie’s path to songwriting came later than you might usually expect. She spent her childhood singing in the backyard of her terraced house in Horden on the Durham coast, only finding her writing voice after spending time at workshops and retreats. One of those sessions led to a collaboration with songwriter Boo Hewerdine. Recognising the honesty in her approach Boo helped shape the title track 'Baking Day', a song that looks back on quiet Sundays Jackie spent with her mother, preparing food and keeping simple routines that have stayed with her to this day.
The album moves through different branches of her family. It reaches as far back as 1832, when her great grandfather Richard Conn began working as a miner at the age of nine. It also reflects on when her grandfather served as a mounted policeman during the First World War. These songs are quite aptly placed alongside pieces that explore the small freedoms and escapes people built for themselves. Make Believe Mondays brings in jazz pianist David O Brien, whose stride style lifts the atmosphere of the Monday night dances so many women in Jackie’s family treasured.
Delicate fingerstyle guitar was added by Chris Cleverley to several tracks, giving room for Jackie’s voice to tell each story at its own pace. One of the most striking moments arrives with Ghosts of Christmas Past, a song that has already become a favourite at her shows. It is shaped by an early loss in her life and is delivered with a level of openness that comes from lived experience.
Produced by Dan Whitehouse and recorded largely in Jackie’s own living room, Baking Day keeps things close to the way the songs were written. It is a very personal record, created by a writer who knows exactly why these stories matter.
Delicate fingerstyle guitar was added by Chris Cleverley to several tracks, giving room for Jackie’s voice to tell each story at its own pace. One of the most striking moments arrives with Ghosts of Christmas Past, a song that has already become a favourite at her shows. It is shaped by an early loss in her life and is delivered with a level of openness that comes from lived experience.
Produced by Dan Whitehouse and recorded largely in Jackie’s own living room, Baking Day keeps things close to the way the songs were written. It is a very personal record, created by a writer who knows exactly why these stories matter.