Q&A: Inside the World of the Opera-Trained Audio Engineer-Turned-Artist Jordan Duffy
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY NTHATILE MAVUSO ☆
JORDAN DUFFY IS AN EMERGING POWERHOUSE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY —a singer, songwriter, producer, and senior audio engineer whose versatility knows no categorization. Her artistry reflects a bold and distinctive voice, shaped by various influences like Adele, Lake Street Dive, Yola, and Charli XCX. From her early days penning songs about heartbreak in dive bars to her debut professional performance at 18 opening for The Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickie Betts, Jordan’s musical journey has been as unique and impressive as her craft.
Hailing from Worcester, Massachusetts, Jordan’s sound transcends genres, blending indie, pop, Americana, and alternative influences. Her noteworthy four-octave range, discovered while studying opera in college, is only the beginning of what sets her apart. Jordan is also the first female audio engineer at Earwolf/Stitcher Podcasts, lending her talents to high-profile productions like The Office Ladies and Best Friends while adding her voice to themes and performances.
Jordan’s single, “Nights Like These,” is a pop anthem immersed in ‘80s nostalgia. Produced by Party Nails, the track’s steamy synths and alluring sax solo by Trey Magnifique pair perfectly with Jordan’s bold, intimate, and powerful vocals. The accompanying music video offers a thrilling, horror-inspired visual experience that is both fun and captivating.
Luna sat down with Jordan Duffy to discuss her favorite horror films, her remarkable four-octave range, and her songwriting, which spans everything from heartbreaks to zombie lovers.
LUNA: You have such a rich background in music, spanning genres from indie and pop to alternative and Americana. Can you share how you started in music and what your journey has looked like from the beginning to now?
DUFFY: I grew up in a household where music was constantly playing. From my parents to my siblings I heard every genre of music you could think of and fell in love with all of it. From my parents playing big-band swing, rock-and-roll, and mo-town, to my sisters introducing me to boy bands, hip-hop, and punk. As a child, I would take my parents' tape recorder and sing or hum a tune into it, not realizing I was writing songs. In high school, I learned how to play piano and guitar, and that’s really where I began songwriting. I went to college for music where I wrote my thesis about performers having successful careers in multiple genres. I began performing at open mics across the country while I went to school for my audio engineering degree. Eventually landing in Los Angeles, getting the job at Earwolf, and meeting my fantastic producer, Party Nails, I was finally able to transform these songs into fun masterpieces for everyone to finally hear.
LUNA: Your music touches on everything from heartbreaks in dive bars to zombie lovers. What inspired you to explore such a wide range of themes in your songwriting, and do you have a favorite topic to write about?
DUFFY: Sometimes the weirder the topic the more fun to write. It is such a fun challenge!
The first song I wrote was about an exploding toad after he ate a leaf; why did I write it? I have no idea, haha, I was 15 and thought it was funny. I love writing funny songs and plan to write more in the future. Making people love something I sing is the highest honor. But the majority of my songs are very vulnerable and are about real-life experiences. Songwriting is another form of therapy for me. I find once I write it out on paper and sing the final form it helps me move on from the situation. As for my songwriting process: I usually come up with a chord progression on the guitar, then I write a topline, and I really let whatever words come out at first and build off that, but if my mind is overthinking something that has happened in my life, then I let my mind take over and see where it goes in the lyrics. If I feel I’m stuck, I will go to my songwriting partner (my sister) and we finish the song together.
LUNA: Your newest single, "Nights Like These," really captures that '80s vibe. What are some of your favorite films from the 1980s or beyond that influenced the style of your music videos?
DUFFY: I absolutely love movies from the ‘80s! Movies that inspired the music video were The Shining, IT, Poltergeist, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and horror movies in general. Personally, I love John Hughes movies such as Sixteen Candles & The Breakfast Club. I love the classics like The Goonies, Stand By Me, and Steel Magnolias.
But my all-time favorite ‘80s movie is The ‘Burbs - It is so funny and underrated.
LUNA: The music video for "Nights Like These" takes viewers through a series of nightmares inspired by ‘80s horror flicks. What was the creative process like for bringing that vision to life, and were there any specific movies or scenes that you wanted to pay homage to?
DUFFY: The production team, Painfully Creative, had the amazing idea to do an inception of nightmares for the song. And with the song sounding so ‘80s and nostalgic we needed to lean into that and have fun with it. The first scene where I am being chased by an ax murderer comes from The Shining. The scene where I wake up in a hospital bed with a clown trying to “entertain me” is an homage to IT. The rest of the video had inspirations from Poltergeist, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street. I loved the storyline they came up with, I knew I needed to put on my acting hat and did my best to lean into my improv background and appear as scared as possible.
LUNA: You've worked as a senior audio engineer and been the first female audio engineer at Earwolf/Stitcher Podcasts. How has your background in audio engineering influenced your approach to music production?
DUFFY: It was a lot of pressure being the first female engineer at the company, but with that pressure came being so intensely meticulous at audio quality. I’ll be working on a song with my producer (Party Nails) and randomly stop her because I could hear the smallest background noise that I know would drive me insane if it was left in, but to anyone else, you would never even notice that sound. I am also picky about mics, especially for my own voice. In the podcasting world, Shure’s SSM7Bs are the go-to, but those mics mixed with my singing voice do not sound as good as it could. My voice loves the Blue Bluebird Condenser mic and the Neumann TLM 300. I also have been a part of every decision made in all of my songs with my producer, and being a senior audio engineer has given me confidence in the direction I choose to go with my songs. I am always in love with the outcome.
LUNA: With a four-octave range and training in opera, your vocal abilities are incredible. How did you discover your range, and what role has vocal training played in developing your unique sound?
DUFFY: Funny enough, I did not learn about my 4-octave range until I was in college. I had vocal teachers throughout my life who didn’t know how to teach me; I was very confused and frustrated. My amazing vocal coach in college was the first to explain to me that those teachers might not have known how to help me since my range was so large. College is where I dove into opera. It was not a genre I knew well or even thought I'd ever sing, but it came so naturally to me that I was shocked by how well I connected to it. At one point in my life, I was considering moving to Austria to pursue a career in opera.
LUNA: You've mentioned artists like Adele, Lake Street Dive, and Charli XCX as influences. How have these artists shaped your sound, and how do you infuse your own experiences and style into your music?
DUFFY: Adele and Rachael Price (lead singer of Lake Street Dive), have some of the most incredible control over their vocal technique, and it reminds me that I too have that same power and that I just need to slow down and lean into that control and not be afraid of where my voice can take me. There have been times in the studio when I just riff to see where something could go and nine out of ten times we use that unexpected take. There’s a song on my upcoming album where I was inspired and I improvised a whole operatic part and it has brought the song to a whole new level.
I’ve also been so inspired by synth-pop music, and Charlie XCX’s albums have been inspirations for some of my own songs on my album. Without other amazing female artists, I would always be second-guessing myself if I could actually write and sing something and do it well. My confidence comes from those who have paved the way.
LUNA: "Nights Like These" is a fresh yet nostalgic track, produced by Party Nails and featuring a sax solo by Trey Magnifique. What was the collaboration process like for this song, and how did each of you contribute to its unique feel?
DUFFY: Party Nails and I have been friends since 2019, and this is our second album working together. I brought this song to Elana as a ballad, thinking it would be a slow and emotional song, but Party Nails had the amazing idea of making it a dance hit. At first, I was a little skeptical, but then I heard what she was thinking, and I was immediately on board and so excited! When it came to having Trey on the track, we met through our mutual friend and amazing mixing engineer, Jerik Centeno. We nervously asked Trey if he would want to do a solo in this fun ‘80s song, and he said, “Sure!” Once we laid down all the vocals, sax solo, and dreamy synths, we knew it would be the first single off the record.
