Interview with Jodi Heights
Coursing through the varied complexities of the night, Jodi Heights’s upcoming album Nocturne expresses a deep longing and appreciation for the dark. The 5 tracks traverse disparate feelings of isolation and acceptance, separated by Heights’s latest release “Full Moon Rise” appearing in the middle of the album. Heights describes “Full Moon Rise” as, “the energetic high point of this project,” creating a centerpiece that shifts the tone of the album, and submerges listeners in the enchantment of night. The music video for “Full Moon Rise,” which premiered on July 12, 2024, enlisted gorgeous rhythmic dancing, a mesmerizing collaboration between choreographer Susi Mendler and dancer Elisa Trujillo. The whimsical flow of the movements, in conjunction with Heights’s vocals, vividly showcases the intoxicating allures of night. Directors and Cinematographers John Weston and Noah Dickinson also craft purposeful compositions that only elevate this aesthetic with viscerally intentional lighting that navigates the essential balance of light and dark.
Jodi Heights and her harmonium
Q. “Full Moon Rise” is an enchanting track written for the harmonium, an instrument from the Indian subcontinent. How does the inclusion of unique instrumentals contribute to the song’s aura?
A. I have a theory that some song ideas are waiting to be written until they find the right instrument to come through. I’ve owned my harmonium since 2018, but I had only used it to perform cover songs. This instrument has the ability to drone, similar to a bagpipe, and I think that gives it a deeply meditative quality. When I set out to write an original song on it, I expected something slow and tranquil to stem from that droning sound. I turned off all the lights and improvised in the dark. Imagine my surprise when the rhythmic, time-signature-morphing “Full Moon Rise” emerged! I couldn’t have written it on any other instrument. It needed the harmonium as its medium.
Q. Talk about filming the music video for “Full Moon Rise” and how you and directors/cinematographers Noah Dickinson and John Weston created such a striking atmosphere.
A. This project was unusual for me because it was partially created from a distance. All the dance footage was filmed by Noah in Portland, Oregon and all my vocal and harmonium footage was filmed by John Weston in Boston. Noah and I talked about visual concepts on the phone and especially focused on contrasts of light and shadow. He found the space to shoot and hired a choreographer, dancer, and lighting designer. I had never even seen the dance until the first cut of the music video, so it took a lot of collaborative trust! I’m really pleased with how it came out, and I’ll be releasing a dance-only cut of the video in November.
Q. The song was conceptualized after reading about the abundance of light pollution. What does “Full Moon Rise” add to the conversation regarding this issue?
A. Just over a century ago, you could walk out of your door and see thousands of stars, but our nights have grown increasingly brighter since the invention of electricity. All that light disrupts ecosystems, upsets our bodies’ circadian rhythms, and blocks our view of the cosmos. We need the dark. We are starving for it. “Full Moon Rise” is a celebration of darkness as part of the natural cycle, and the song encourages listeners to become more like nocturnal creatures. I wanted it to feel like a celebration of what we could gain from turning off artificial lights and reacquainting ourselves with the dark.
Q. How does “Full Moon Rise” complement adjacent songs on the album in addition to thematically encapsulating nighttime?
A. The first two songs on the album deal with themes of loneliness and isolation, as well as shifting perspectives and beliefs. The last two songs focus on themes of hope, resilience, and beauty. “Full Moon Rise” is the turning point from negative associations with darkness towards the mystical, magical power of night. It’s the song where the album shifts its focus to what night has to teach us: how to dream, how to listen, and how to see with new eyes.
Q. What are other mediums (films, shows, and/or books) that inspired your night-centric vision for your latest album Nocturne?
A. Mother Night by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés is an audio collection of about 10 hours of stories, poems, and commentary that I was deeply moved by, and it also became the title of the final song on my album. End of Night by Paul Bogard was an incredibly educational book that directly influenced the song “Full Moon Rise” but also made me long to see the stars in a truly dark sky. I’m still working on that goal. Another beautifully written book was Underland by Robert MacFarland which explores the human relationship with darkness by taking readers on an epic journey underground. I also recommend the documentary series Night on Earth which is visually stunning and shows how much activity is happening on our planet in the dead of night.