Photo by Stacie Huckeba

Looking to get lost inside some new silky-smooth music? Well, check out the lovely video for the ocean inspired “An Icy Cold,” and hear the tasty new single from Nashville’s Jesse Correll. The song is just a peek inside “Inner Shibori,” the fine new LP from the Nashville songsmith which comes out on February 11.

Shibori is the famous style of fabric dying particular to Japan. Says Jesse: “The technique spoke to me. We endure a lifelong process of unfolding, unbinding, unstitching, and unblocking. Little by little, we see that what we thought were stains, are intricate patterns; the design of unseen hands.”

The LP was recorded here in Nashville and produced by Jesse and guitarist and singer-songwriter Anne McCue. “Inner Shibori” will be the Berklee graduate’s fourth record since 1994, and his second release after a 15-year hiatus from music. Jesse calls the album a breakup album – if you’re breaking up with yourself.

Thanks, Jesse, for doing this 11 Questions interview. Looks like you and I share some musical likes and you just set the record for namechecking 11 Questions’ alumni! Hope to see you play the new songs live in 2022.

Where are you from originally, when did you move to Nashville and why?

I grew up in a town called Titusville, FL across the river from Cape Canaveral where the space shuttle was launched.  I went to college in Boston and spent several years in the New York City area.  We were flooded out by Sandy in 2012, and New York was just getting to be too expensive.  We moved to Nashville in 2015 to be closer to family and for a change of pace.  I have never made a better decision.

What are the first and the last records you bought, and where did you buy them? Were they CD, vinyl or digital?

Oh, wow. Let me date myself.  My first purchase was a Madonna CD, maybe True Blue? My most recent purchase was Amy Speace’s upcoming album Tucson, from her Kickstarter campaign.

First and last live concerts that you’ve seen?

My first concert was in Orlando during my high school years. I’m pretty sure it was Boyz II Men, Jodeci, and Bell Biv DeVoe.  I think the most recent show (not streamed) was Joe Pisapia at the 5 Spot.

Whose star should be added to the Music City Walk of Fame?

I am a huge fan of Patty Griffin.  She is one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time.  If I got to vote for a local hero, it would have to be the musical genius and multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke.

Where do you go in Nashville for coffee and pizza?

For coffee, if I’m meeting friends, my go-to is Ugly Mugs on the East Side.  If I just need coffee on the go, it’s always Sip.  Pizza is usually Five Points (That Zeus Stromboli is no joke, hold the olives though.) Or if I’m missing Jersey City, I’ll head over to Midtown and have some Two Boots.  They have locations in Jersey City and the East Village, among others.

What’s your favorite record to ever come out of Nashville?

What a stressful question!!  What if the question was, what is your favorite album named Nashville? Then, I would have to say Josh Rouse’s.

Where’s the best place to eat late night after a show?

Dino’s.

The Bluebird calls and asks you to host an “In the Round.” Pick three local songwriters to join you.

Another tough one. One of my favorite things about this town is how deeply talented a community it is.  I have so many wonderful singer-songwriter friends, that I would be able to book a hundred such rounds.  But, for this one, Anne McCue is my favorite singer-songwriter, producer, DJ, videographer, writer, etc.  She produced my new record Inner Shibori with me.  Craig Carothers is another current favorite.  He’s an amazing artist and also teaches songwriting via mind-bending prompts.  Several of the songs on Inner Shibori came from prompts in his class.  It’s really opened me up to writing in completely new ways.  And Whit Hill.  I have the pleasure of being in a local community gathering with her called “East Nashville Song Salon.”  She is one of the most consistently surprising, literary, musically versatile, and intelligent writers I’ve ever met.  In a just and parallel universe, she is rightly a household name.

What are your favorite music venues to play in town?

Not long before the pandemic started, I played a couple rounds at the Bluebird.  I love how the focus is on the songs and the stories behind them, and the rich history of the venue.  On the east side, I love the Bowery Vault.  It’s an intimate venue with an idiosyncratic vibe and beloved owners Vero and Emily.

Name a musician who you’d like to see move here?

Meshell Ndegeocello.  I have loved her since Plantation Lullabies, Peace Beyond Passion, and Bitter.  Of the hundreds of shows I’ve seen in my life; I have seen her live more than anyone else.  She has been able to stay authentic and relevant through many changes on the landscape.  I would love to bump into her at Ugly Mugs and tell her how much her music means to me.

Finally, what’s in your musical future?

I just released the first single “An Icy Cold” from my new record Inner Shibori, replete with a beautiful video I made with Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel (Duende Vision).  Up next is the second single “One More Time” coming in early January, then “Backyard Thursday” in early February.  The 13-song record drops on February 11 which is the same day I’ll celebrate its release at the City Winery Lounge with a full band show.  Beyond that, I’ll just keep doing the work.  One song prompt at a time, shared at local song circles like “East Nashville Song Salon,” until I can’t hold the new songs back any longer.  And the cycle continues.