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Snail Mail is the American
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan (born June 16, 1999). Originally from
Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the m ...
, Jordan first performed as Snail Mail live in 2015 at the age of 15, and attracted attention with the EP ''Habit'' in 2016. After signing with
Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apar ...
, Snail Mail released her debut studio album, '' Lush'' (2018), to critical acclaim. In 2021, Snail Mail followed up with her second album, '' Valentine'', to further critical recognition.


Early life

Lindsey Erin Jordan was raised in
Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the m ...
, a suburb of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. Her mother is a lingerie store owner and her father works for a textbook publisher. Jordan had a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
upbringing. She started playing guitar at the age of 5, and became captivated by the punk scene as a teenager. At the age of 8, Jordan saw
Paramore Paramore is an American Rock music, rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the ...
live on the ''
Riot! ''Riot!'' (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by American rock band Paramore. It was released in the United States on June 12, 2007, through Fueled by Ramen as a follow-up to their debut album, '' All We Know Is Falling'' (2005). ...
'' tour. She cited the experience as a "big moment" that inspired her to eventually form her own band. She played guitar for a church band and a jazz band at school. She started writing her own songs at around 12 and began booking her own sets at restaurants and coffee shops. In 2018, Jordan was admitted to St. Joseph's College in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, but chose not to attend in order to focus on her career.


Career

Jordan released her self-recorded solo EP ''Sticki'' in 2015 with her new band as Snail Mail. She was joined by Ryan Vieira playing bass and Shawn Durham on the drums. In October 2015, Snail Mail performed her first live show at Baltimore's Unregistered Nurse festival alongside
Sheer Mag Sheer Mag is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formed in 2014. A combination of 1970s rock and punk ethos, the band continued to gather attention, releasing three 7-inch EPs before March 2016.Richards, Chris ( ...
,
Screaming Females Screaming Females is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey comprising Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and Mike Abbate on bass. They released their debut album ''Baby Teeth'' in 2006. The band ...
and
Priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
. The set attracted the attention of Priests, who subsequently recruited Jordan to their label Sister Polygon Records. After completing one short DIY tour in July 2016, Snail Mail released her first full EP ''
Habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
'' via Sister Polygon, produced by Priests' G.L. Jaguar and
Coup Sauvage and the Snips Coup Sauvage and the Snips is a disco punk band from the greater Washington, D. C. area. The six member band consists of Crystal Sauvage (background vocals), Elizabeth Sauvage (bass), Jason Sauvage (keyboard), Kristina Sauvage (lead vocals), Ma ...
's Jason Sauvage. The six-track EP received considerable coverage from the indie press. ''Pitchfork'' included the EP's opening track, "Thinning", in their "Best New Track" series. Snail Mail, supported by bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, toured North America extensively in 2017 supporting
Priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
,
Girlpool Girlpool were an indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed by friends Avery Tucker and Harmony Tividad. Their debut self-titled EP ''Girlpool'' was released on Bandcamp in 2014 and re-released on Wichita Recordings later that year. The ...
,
Waxahatchee Waxahatchee is an American indie music project, formed in 2010 by American singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield (born 4 January 1989), previously a member of P.S. Eliot. The band is named after Waxahatchee Creek, in Alabama, where Crutchfield g ...
and
Beach Fossils Beach Fossils is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2009. They are currently signed to Bayonet Records, having previously been signed to indie label Captured Tracks. The group's live band currently includes founder Du ...
. In September 2017, Jordan signed with
Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apar ...
and performed her first
Tiny Desk Concert Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thomp ...
for
NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
. Snail Mail's first headlining tour began in January 2018. Snail Mail's debut full-length album '' Lush'' was released on June 8, 2018, to generally positive reviews from music critics. In 2019, she toured New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US, playing with artists such as
Mac Demarco MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV; April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. DeMarco has released six full-length studio albums, his debut '' Rock and Roll Night ...
and Thundercat. In June 2019, Snail Mail released a new version of their song "Pristine" in
Simlish Simlish is a fictional language featured in EA's ''Sim'' series of games. It debuted in ''SimCopter'' (1996), and has been especially prominent in ''The Sims'' franchise, as well as in its spinoff ''MySims'' series. Simlish can also be hear ...
for the new EA game '' The Sims 4: Island Living''. That same month Matador Records digitally reissued ''Habit'', featuring a cover of "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by the band Courtney Love, headed by American musician
Lois Maffeo Lois Maffeo (professionally known for much of her career as Lois) is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. She has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 1990s-era Oly ...
. Snail Mail released her second album, '' Valentine'', on November 5, 2021. The album received widespread critical acclaim and appeared on multiple 2021 year-end lists. Regarding ''Valentine'', Jordan stated: "Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail." Her original set of US and UK tour dates were also set to begin in November 2021, but Jordan called off the tour shortly before it began due to her finding massive polyps in her vocal cords that needed to be operated on to prevent permanent damage to her voice. In November 2022, Jordan announced through Variety that she would bring a hometown festival to Baltimore in early 2023 called "Snail Mail's Valentine Fest." The five-night run of shows will take place at the city's Ottobar venue, with a lineup of special guests that Jordan curated herself, and she told Variety that there are "some fucking insane bands on there."


Style and influences

Snail Mail's music has been described as
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
, and
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
. While earlier Snail Mail releases were noted for their spare,
lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
guitar-driven sounds, ''Valentine'' embraced a richer sonic palette, incorporating
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s, strings and samples. Lindsay Zoladz of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' noted Jordan's unconventional sense of melody and a preference for "murky"
effects pedals An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
, both exhibiting influences of 1990s indie rock. Her lyricism has been noted for its candid and introspective nature. Regarding her songwriting process, Jordan stated, "I have a really hard time writing from any place other than complete honesty within myself." Jordan has cited
Hayley Williams Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Paramore. Born and raised in Miss ...
of
Paramore Paramore is an American Rock music, rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the ...
, Liz Phair and
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), is the best-selling album of the 2 ...
as her idols and major musical inspirations. Her other influences include
Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...
,
Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
,
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
,
Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...
,
Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nom ...
, My Bloody Valentine and
Sheer Mag Sheer Mag is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formed in 2014. A combination of 1970s rock and punk ethos, the band continued to gather attention, releasing three 7-inch EPs before March 2016.Richards, Chris ( ...
. Jordan has named
Mary Timony Mary Bozana Timony (born October 17, 1970) is an American independent singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, and violist. She has been a member of the bands Helium, Autoclave and Wild Flag, and currently fronts Ex Hex. Timony's music is of ...
her favorite guitarist, and received guitar lessons from Timony herself. Other guitarists who had inspired her include Marnie Stern,
Kurt Vile Kurt Samuel Vile (born January 3, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is known for his solo work and as the former lead guitarist of rock band the War on Drugs. Both in the studio and during li ...
, Steve Gunn and
Mark Kozelek Mark Edward Kozelek (born January 24, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and occasional actor. He is known as the vocalist and primary recording artist of the indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and founding member of th ...
.


Personal life

Jordan is openly gay. In an interview with ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspape ...
'', Jordan stated that while coming out as gay "really developed who I am as a person", she "hated having to answer questions about being a woman and being gay and being young. All of it, to me, has nothing to do with the music." As of September 2021, she lives in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.


Accompanying band

Current members *Lindsey Jordan – vocals, guitar *Alex Bass – bass *Ray Brown – drums *Benjamin Kaunitz – guitar, backing vocals (2021–present) *Blaise O'Brien – keyboards, percussion, guitar (2022–present) Past members *Madeline McCormack - keyboards, guitar (2019–2022) *Ian Eylanbekov – guitar (2018) *Kelton Young - guitar, backing vocals (2018)


Discography


Studio albums


Extended plays


Singles


Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{authority control 1999 births Living people 21st-century American singers American rock guitarists American indie rock musicians American lesbian musicians LGBT singers from the United States LGBT people from Maryland LGBT songwriters Musical groups established in 2015 Musical groups from Baltimore People from Ellicott City, Maryland 2015 establishments in Maryland 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Matador Records artists