When Rights Are Stripped, Songs Rise: Jess Corbin’s New Single "Shame"
Every song features its own set of voices, and Jess Corbin's new single Shame sparkles with the performances of trusted collaborators. Bassist Erik Unsworth got the strong foundation down, and Vinnie Presite's percussion drove the rhythm of the piece. Seasoned engineer Kent Heckman pitched in behind the console as well as electric guitar, shaping both sound and soul of the song. Another color added to the palette with Andy Mowrer on mandolin, whose strings added a sparkling shine, embroidering something new in the fabric. Together, they transcended being musicians—they were friends in Jess's story.
The forces that led to this release date back to artists who've perfected the dance of vulnerability and strength. The Chicks, in their unapologetic harmonies, The Wailin' Jennies, in whose soft strength the last note lingers, and Brandi Carlile, a shining example of staying power, all made their mark on Corbin's journey. They did not leave their mark in imitation but in inspiration—a nod to what can be achieved when songs have tenderness and a sense of urgency.
Far beneath it, Shame was born out of a moment of reckoning. Impacted by the Supreme Court's ruling to reverse Roe v. Wade, Jess Corbin began writing from the woman's point of view who would lose control. But as the song went on, the lyrics became a more general resonance. This wasn't just a woman's story but a song for anyone whose freedom had ever been in jeopardy, for every group that had ever had hard-won rights stripped away. It was lament and anthem and had sorrow in one hand and defiance in the other.
The recording was one of history and discovery. Sessions were held at Brooklyn's Restoration Studio and Red Rock Studio in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania—the home studio, where Corbin's first album started in on its gestation. Loose, laid-back versions leaned towards a heavy, Pink Floydish landscape, but painstaking carving with Heckman drew out the song in its truest form: bare, pleading, and rising to a roar that will not fade gently. One of five on the Slow Time EP released in August, the track captures the key thing Corbin learned from her travels: let each song open to what it needs to be, and it will always find its own fire.
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