Seven LPs on with the 14 May release of When We Wander, Jesse Terry continues to find fresh avenues to traverse with his songwriting. Given, he has prime inspiration. Largely inspired by his role as a father to his daughter, this album is the first he’s publishing as a parent. The LP shimmers with tender reflections on the road traveled thus far, largely circling around familial themes.
Featuring lulling lap steel, swirling viola, and Terry’s own pensive, rhythmic fingerpicking, gentle acoustic instrumentation sets the scene for the artist to deliver a gentle ballad to his daughter.
Terry tells For Folk’s Sake, “I love how a song can grow and evolve over time, especially when you’re writing on your own. The title and core of this song flooded out of me on a moonlit evening on the Jersey shore, thinking about my little girl and longing to protect her in this world. The rest of the lyric and tune made me wait a little longer. I remember finishing it up while my Mom was visiting us at home and hanging with Lily in the next room.”
“Lily’s joyful laughter and screams next door provided the perfect background noise to finish this lyric and tune. I loved personifying the power of the moon in this song to give the message more magic and strength, because as human beings we’re so limited and so much is out of our hands.”