This is not that ‘Hallelujah‘, this song is taken from Pi Jacobs’ new album ‘Soldier On,’ which is out April 26th via Blackbird Record Label. Pi Jacobs was norn in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, and she’s spent two decades on stage and on the road, creating a rhythmic, rootsy sound that’s every bit as diverse as her own upbringing, as she says: “My dad’s Filipino, my mom’s white, and my step grandmother and cousins are African-American. Growing up, our apartment looked like the UN. I didn’t know it was unusual until I left the Bay Area, and that’s one of the reasons I love Americana music. It’s inclusive. It makes room for everything. Traditional genres have become so segregated, and I want to break that mold.”
Pi Jacobs told Americana UK about the song ‘Hallelujah‘ and how it came into being saying: “At first glance, ‘Hallelujah’ sounds like a breakup song, but a further listen reveals the story of an ordinary woman, doing what most ordinary women do: Holding up everyone they love, to the detriment of their own emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even physical health.
I was fortunate enough to ride out the pandemic with my husband, my dog, and our dear friends who live next door in our compound. We made a pact to be a “pandemic bubble”, and at first, being at home was paradise! Both my husband and I both travel for work, so being at home, and getting to do mundane things like cooking, playing with the dog, sleeping in the same place, and visiting with our “bubble” when we got lonely, all felt wonderful. But after a few months, I started to feel exhausted, but not really sure why. Then came the first day we were finally all able to leave, and I was alone, for the first time in over a year. The song ‘Hallelujah’ came pouring out of me and just about wrote itself. The relief of pure solitude was overwhelming.
When not onstage, an extreme introvert, only child, shy wierdo. I recharge when I’m alone, and not having any time alone had been slowly driving me crazy. Add to my extreme introversion, the classic female flaw of being a “caretaker” of others, and you get… well, me: Burnt – out, in the unique way that women get burnt out. My first instinct is to always to take-care-of, and to put others needs first. Often I’m so wrapped up in what others need, that I don’t even know what my own needs are! When I was younger, this cocktail put me in harm’s way – more than once. Even now that I’m older and wiser, (and have worked hard on myself!) I still can’t tune people out, energetically speaking. If anyone within my vicinity has distress, I can’t help wanting to help…. its Pavlovian. And so, being alone is how I heal and take care of myself. Lesson learned – Hallelujah, it’s just me again. at least for an hour or two.”
