Langhorne Slim//Jillette Johnson

“To be a happy human, you need to have a relationship with your environment.”—Jillette Johnson

Most artists need external stimulation, some interaction with their environment, to create. That’s why the pandemic has made it difficult for songwriters: while some have taken advantage of the lull in touring to write, many others have found the isolation debilitating to their creative process. It’s unwise to assume that this is a fruitful time; in my limited sample size, most songwriters have not found 2020 to be productive.

Nashville-based Langhorne Slim and Jillette Johnson have struggled at times to write songs during quarantine, although Slim has found it a bit easier. Johnson told me that not being able to interact with people—much like Lilly Hiatt told me when I interviewed her and Patterson Hood—has made songwriting a challenge because she draws inspiration from those interactions.

Both Slim and Johnson, however, have found perhaps a bigger enemy to the creative process in social media. And it’s been made worse during the pandemic because many artists need to show their face more frequently online now that they can’t show it in person. As Slim told me, “We are now in a time where if you don’t have something to say, you might disappear. And that’s dangerous.”

Langhorne Slim’s album Strawberry Mansion arrives January 29, 2121 on Dualtone Records. Jillette Johnson’s album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You will be released on February 12, 2121.

Watch our interview below!