Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall have joined Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Country to talk about their new project – The Marfa Tapes. The trio discuss writing and recording in Marfa, Texas. Miranda also reveals how burning someone else’s clothes inspired the song “Ghost.” Listen on-demand here.
Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram Explain Where the Idea for ‘The Marfa Tapes’ Came From
Miranda Lambert: It was three co-writers and friends that had three different trips full of songs. And it was like, “What’s going to happen to these if we don’t just put them down on something?” A lot of times, you don’t get to hear songs in the state that they were created in, especially with last year… We all thought people would be ready for it.
Jack Ingram: The point was when we listened back to all the work tapes, they were so magical within themselves. They’re songs that are better presented with just an acoustic guitar and vocals and cows and wind and coyotes.
Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram on “Ghost”
Miranda Lambert: We didn’t have the hook at all. We just had these really cool metaphors and a melody. It kept wrapping itself up with the chorus, but there was no hook. I don’t know. It felt like a lifetime waiting for it to come out of the air.
Jon Randall: She won’t say it, but we were stuck. We were sitting around a fire, and we were playing the song over and over. It never had that thing, whether it’s a hook or just something to make it real. That’s when she just goes, “And heaven knows I ain’t afraid of ghosts.” I started freaking out.
Jack Ingram: He got up and danced around.
Miranda Lambert: He started running.
Jon Randall: I started running around like a dog. I couldn’t believe it.
Jack Ingram: It was magic. It was so cool.
Jon Randall: There’s no other way to describe it. It was magic. I was like, “Holy sh**, something just happened.”
Miranda Lambert: That was one of those “That’s why we write songs” moments, when it hurts a little for a long while, then finally gives you some relief.
