At first listen, Calan Mai’s “We’ve Got Love” feels like a carefree piece of folk-pop—all bright melody and major-chord strumming, soaring vocals delivered with warmth and ease. But on closer observation, the track’s intricate lyricism and detailed storytelling reveal a more heavy-hearted sensibility.
“Each verse is about a different family member and everything they were going through at the time,” says Australian singer/songwriter Jordan Lawrence, who’s created under the name Calan Mai for several years now. Noting that “We’ve Got Love” touches on his brother’s drug addiction and his father’s gambling problem, Lawrence adds that the sonic tone isn’t entirely paradoxical. “I wrote that song about the fact that even though all these things worry and upset me, I’ve never been made to feel unloved or unwanted—so in that way, I’m really very lucky,” he says.
Hailing from the Gold Coast (a small town in Queensland), Lawrence made his debut as Calan Mai with an acoustic demo of “We’ve Got Love” in 2014. With virtually no promotional push, the track soon found its way into rotation on Triple J, BBC Radio 6, and a number of college radio stations in the U.S. Having recently teamed up with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, Lower Dens), Calan Mai is now set to release the fully realized, more dynamically arranged version of “We’ve Got Love” as part of a selection of songs showcasing his nuanced songcraft.
Glide is proud to premiere the official video for “We’ve Got Love,” a whimsical composition that squashes the status quo of a what an indie folk song should sound like. While many a song has been written about love, Lawrence explains why his take is different…
“It certainly didn’t feel like a decision. I just wrote what I was feeling at the time. A lot of my anxiety is bound up in the wellbeing of my family and this song was my way of making sense of all that. The song is about what each of them was going through then, and as hard and overwhelming as it all was, there was still a sense of loving and being loved unconditionally.”
As for the serious subject matter verse his playful tone, Lawrence notes, “The balance isn’t something I’m very conscious of. I’m always aiming to write a story. Not necessarily a narrative, but certainly something that feels lived in. Usually, the music comes along as a natural extension of that.”
As Australians like Australians like Tame Impala and Courtney Barnett and yourself have been getting heard in the states and seem to be offering a unique offering of indie rock, Lawrence describes Australia’s knack for talent as somewhat justifiable.
“I don’t think I could claim Australian music is any more eclectic than that of another country,” says Lawrence. “Artists like Kevin Parker and Courtney Barnett are certainly delivering some unique music, and I’m guessing that’s why they’re the Australians getting noticed. There are a million Aussie bands who are trying and failing to receive the same attention. That said, perhaps there’s something about making music on an island thousands of miles from traditional centers of cultural power like LA, NYC or London that makes people feel freer to try new things.”
As Lawrence describes his fanbase as a “work in progress,” his songs and connection are certainly there, as the states will certainly be hearing more of his unique song-craft.
