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Time Traveler
Released 2022
Surrounded by grand and desolate landscapes, Jetty Rae put some serious mileage behind her latest release Time Traveler. She jokes that she has shed tears in every state–as she processed the death of her beloved dad. Chasing ghosts, running from sad omens and writing about the aftermath of compound grief and trauma led her on a quest all over America, but especially west. Prior to her dad’s cancer diagnosis, Rae and her husband and two kids had just transitioned to living in a 1979 Airstream Travel trailer full time. For the three years following her dad’s death they criss-crossed the US, Mexico and Canada multiple times, embarking on a Grief journey, both literally and figuratively. The sense of place is prevalent in the lyrics; Jetty’s huge losses are given the space to unfurl in places like Big Bend National Park, and White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Driving through mountain, dune and desert Jetty often felt like a time traveler, disappearing in the past frequently, sometimes lost in it altogether.
Christmas for the Birds
Released 2020
The follow-up to the 2019 album “We Share the Light”, 2020’s “Christmas for the Birds” features 4 original holidays songs and a Christmas take on a cover. All songs were co-produced by long-time friend and collaborator Mitch Dane and recorded at his studio, Sputnik Sound, in Nashville Tennessee. The original “Be Your Christs” features longtime collaborator Heath McNease, the other half of the duo Pen Pals.
We Share The Light
Released 2019The follow-up to the 2014 album “More Than December”, 2019’s “We Share The Light” features 4 Christmas holiday favorites and an original sharing the album name. All songs were co-produced by long-time friend and collaborator Mitch Dane and recorded at his studio, Sputnik Sound, in Nashville Tennessee. The classic “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” features the beautiful, smokey and haunting vocals of fellow songwriter Hannah Miller.
STARDUST
Released 2019
Recorded in her 1979 Airstream trailer in a Tennessee spring (parked at a National Park) Jetty’s new Children’s Album is playful, good-natured folk-pop at it’s finest. Her harmonies and earnest lyrics invite the listener into her musical twilight. Rae is a songbird who you will want to take with you on long road trips or bedtime rituals. Journey through outer space on the ethereal and light sci-fi lo-fi space tune “Stardust” loosely inspired by the book The Little Prince. Or go with Rae to the “Animal Fair”—an upbeat, playful tune about a mishap at the zoo originating from the late 1880’s. Parents and caregivers will love to bond with their kids over songs of familial love, stories of flight and sing-along favorites “I got You babe”, “You Raise Me Up” and “Let’s Go Fly A Kite”. The album ends with “Seasons Lament”, a song inspired by Rae’s own son who was grieving the loss of his Grandpa. With themes of love, hope, and even culinary delight the album “Stardust” will awaken the inner child in all of us.
I DISAPPEAR
Released 2017
The folk duo Pen Pals (Heath McNease and Jetty Rae) have created a vulnerably haunting album of lush harmonies, soul bearing lyrics, and wound salving melodies. If you miss the days of acoustic folk and pure musicianship, ‘I Disappear’ will not disappoint.
CANT CURSE THE FREE
Released 2017
Jetty’s most ambitious release to date saw a definite departure of style and sound. The evolution of her sound can be largely credited to Grammy award winning producer Mitch Dane and his mysterious and diverse interpretations of these songs. Lyrically and musically Rae steps out of previous boxes to unveil a more earthy, alt-country, dirty-folk album. With the latest release Rae demonstrates her ability to bend genre lines when the song demands a different skin. The lyrics are queen, and the album paints a picture of western landscapes, dusty heartbreaks and phoenixes that can’t wait to die and rise. Sonically expect textures of electric and acoustic guitars dueling with upright bass, synth pads, and tribal drum loops. Vocally Rae steps out of line with more soul, and grit to tell the stories that no one else is telling.
GOLD
Released 2015
Pen Pals is the duo of Jetty and singer-songwriter Heath McNease. McNease approached Jetty with the idea of forming a side project where they could have the freedom to collaborate in an entirely new genre. The album ranges from playful and free-spirited to deep and disquieted. The sparse arrangements span from finger-picked guitar, to beautifully harmonic vocal arrangements. Representing the end of a summer love, the soulful blend of voices hi-lights both individual artists ability to create something distinct and unforgettable.
MORE THAN DECEMBER
Released 2014
Eric Sproull produced this timeless and folksy Christmas album. There are two original songs, along with Jetty’s unique re-interpretations of holiday classics. Rae is joined by fellow musicians Chris Dupont and Katie Lee as guest vocals. The song “Christmas Kiss” has turned into a holiday favorite boasting half-a million spins alone. In classic Jetty Rae style she turns the light-hearted More Than December into a deep quest into the heart of the season.
CLIMBING CLOUDS
Released 2013
Climbing Clouds is a completely conceptual album. This album see’s Jetty exposing raw emotions in a way she never had before. Rae wrote the EP after the unexpected death of her first child Ella Rae as a way to process her own grief. This album is a bitter-sweet tribute top to bottom. You can hear the anger, grief, longing and sorrow in each song. For this project Rae enlisted the help of long-time commercial music man Eric Sproull. Sproull pushed Jetty’s music into an even more commercially friendly space, challenging her to incorporate piano, and more upbeat tempos. This project is most noted for the three music videos that accompanied the release–all autobiographical. Full of delicate instrumentation, rip-out your heart lyrics, and Jetty’s flavor of vocal arrangement and harmony you will be immersed in Jetty’s world of hope, and a deep love that never dies.
DROWNING IN GRAIN
Released 2012
Jetty’s first project that was entirely self-produced. Rae tested her limits, creativity, collaboration and knowledge while crafting each song at Solid Sound Recording Company in Ann Arbor Michigan. The album was a fresh departure in a more soulful/popfolk direction due to the musicians she enlisted for the project. The title track explains the yearning that we are all drowning in something we wish we could be free of. Nick Nagurka was at the helm engineering and mixing, mastering was done by Eric Wojhan. You have heard songs off this album on Petco commercials and many more.
LA LA LU AND THE LAZY MOON
Released 2011
La La Lu and the Lazy Moon is a lullaby album Rae made for her friends with kids. This non-cheesy family album is her most commercially successful album to date–having been streamed over a million times. Jetty recorded the album using her new found knowledge of audio engineering and mixing after attending college courses while living in Dexter Michigan. She wrote the songs for the album and then enlisted Joseph Barker of Bella Ruse to come in and add instrumentation and mix the project. The album is incredibly melodic, driven with stacks of vocal layers, homey reverb, and whimsical instrumentation. You have heard these songs possibly on commercials ranging from Nabi to Microsoft.
NOBODY EP
Released 2010
Nobody EP was a game changer for Jetty. She worked with Nashville producer Andy Walker. Walker arranged the album, and helped push Jetty’s writing and songs into bigger arenas. The song “I Love You” has been recognized and awarded multiple times. Sarah Mchlaclan and Terry Mcbride chose this song and subsequebtly Jetty as winner of Lilith Fair Detroits local talent. MTV featured the song in their “needle in a haystack” series. The EP covers questions of faith, anthems of hope to dreamers, and age old truths of the frailty of our existence and quest for love. The arrangements and style of the album are what put Jetty decidedly in the folk genre with subtle acoustic guitar, layered string arrangements and vocal harmonies to boot. This nobody is certainly a folkie.
BLACKBERRIES
Released 2008
A fan favorite at nearly a decade old, Blackberries is the album that started it all. This albums production is pretty bare bones, acoustic guitar and lots of vocal harmonies which is what Jettys albums are known for. Half the album was recorded in an old warehouse by Charlie Burkle, and the other half was recorded at Runyan Studios in Bellaire Michigan. Jetty was joined by rapper Hundred Fold aka Jesse Carrasco on the album as well. Listen to her take of the classic “Sunshine.”
