Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi & Jordan Lee.
Hi Jodi & Jordan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Jordan: When I quit my job in Texas, everyone thought I was insane. A month before, Jodi and I were barely friends, and now I was so in love with her I was moving 1,300 miles to be with her. It sounds crazy looking back. It was crazy. But it was my dad who said to me, “Jordan, there will always be another job, but there won’t be another Jodi.”
Jodi and I met in 2013 at an old-time picker’s circle. I was a 29 year old first-year law student, and Jodi was a law firm partner – the youngest in her firm’s history. We saw each other at those gatherings once every few months over the years. In May of 2016, I graduated and moved home to Texas. A year later, I was at the office on a Saturday, not unusual for a new associate, when I heard a song that reminded me of one Jodi used to play. So I sent it to her. To this day I don’t know what possessed me to do that, and she says she’s not sure what possessed her to write back. Whatever possessed us, a few weeks later we met up in New Orleans, where we promised to get married a year later, which we did. It really happened that fast.
I have been writing songs and playing guitar since I was 18. Jodi has been singing even longer. In our new relationship, writing and playing together is how we connected, and we decided we were going to do it together as long as we could even if that meant sacrificing our future opportunities as attorneys. We were both pretty lucky there – even though I gave up private practice, I found a position in legal education, and Jodi’s firm was willing to let her change practice areas so she could have more freedom to play shows and tour.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Jodi: I don’t know if it’s ever been easy. Neither of us are formally “trained” musicians. We’re mostly self taught musicians and performers, so our progress and development is always in front of a crowd. This industry can humble you in 2 seconds flat, and it feels like you’ll get a hundred “no’s” before you finally get a “yes.” That can really break your spirit if you let it – and at times, I certainly have. But when that happens to me, Jordan is there to remind me it’s a journey, not a race. And I try to do the same for him.
Also, we both have 9-5 jobs and a habit of rescuing shelter dogs, so touring, rehearsing, and writing have to be squeezed into our crazy schedules. But, we are beyond grateful, not just that we get to play our songs for people, but that we get to do it together.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Jodi: Well, we probably have far more appreciation for what we do because we got a late start, and we’ve always had this feeling like we can never catch up with others who have been playing live for far longer than we have. Still, we are really proud of how far we’ve come together as musicians, singers, songwriters, and performers. Despite the constant second-guessing and insecurities we face doing this, there’s nothing more fun than just being onstage together, singing our songs to people who want to hear them. And I think it shows. Audiences can see how much we love doing this together, and I hope they get to feel like they are a part of it. One of my favorite interactions with someone after a show was in Hamburg, Germany, where a guy came up to us after and said, “I just want to thank you for sharing your joy with us.” That’s how I want everyone to feel after seeing us live.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Please follow us on our socials or join our email list to see what we are up to! We also love to collaborate with other bands in their cities to put together shows and figure out how we can all support each other. There’s room for us all, and we believe rising tides raise all boats.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.couldntbehappiers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couldntbehappiers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/couldntbehappiers
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nMUMrBkGTh-KvS_APjRXw
