Jordan Anderson of J & the Causeways and the Delta-Drenched Soul that is His Music
“It doesn’t matter if there are 10 people in the audience or a 1,000,” says Jordan Anderson, lead singer/keyboardist for J & The Causeways. “It’s that sacrifice we make of our art, so that people can feel it that much harder the first time they hear you.”
In a serendipitous sequence of events, J & The Causeways was formed at the legendary Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans. A juggernaut soul/R&B ensemble, the group is filled with heavy backbeats and a soaring horn section, all swirling around the magnetic vocal stylings of Anderson.
“We definitely shine live because each and every member of this band loves to be onstage and in that genuine moment of performance,” Anderson says. “New Orleans is home to some of the finest singers and musicians on the planet, which also means you have to bring your A-game to every single show — you’re representing this city and the long history of beautiful music that’s been created here.”
As a kid, Anderson was first exposed to the power of music from his grandmother, a piano teacher in his small rural Louisiana hometown. It was her backroom record collection that mesmerized Anderson, where he found himself thumbing through the vinyl and discovering the likes of Otis Redding, Al Green, Queen, and Aretha Franklin.
“I learned early on to not fall into the vanilla variety of pitch,” Anderson says. “It’s about finding a certain power that you can harness with the pure emotion of your voice, which is what all of those singers had — finding that spectrum of vocalists who put it all out there for the audience.”
With J & The Causeways, Anderson is fronting a band that finds itself mentioned in the same breath as the likes of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and The Marcus King Band — all modern-day entities of passion and purpose, each summoning the pulsating, endless energy of soul/R&B music.
“With soul music, it’s those live moments where you feel truly elevated, and you’re bringing the audience along with you to that higher place,” Anderson says. “And you’re creating this space of inclusivity and connectivity — there’s no way you’re leaving that stage without a smile on your face.”
For J & The Causeways, it’s about bringing forth a communal sense of self within the greater universe of knowns and unknowns — we’re all in this together, so let’s share in the depths of our raw, honest emotions through the sound and spectacle that is live music.
“I like to help people find joy. And I find that a lot of people just don’t know how to be vulnerable enough to find that joy,” Anderson says. “I want our music to help unlock that beauty that resides within each of us, to let out that vulnerability of what it means to be in the presence of live music, and of each other — music has always lifted me up, and I want to lift up the listener every single time I’m on that stage.”
J & the Causeways take the main stage of the Red River Revel in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana at 7:00 PM CST on October 8th as direct support for the opening day’s headliner. For more artist profiles, follow The Red River Revel on social media our on the official website: redriverrevel.com.
Created in 1976, the Red River Revel is a 9-day annual arts festival in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana at Festival Plaza. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Red River Revel’s primary function is a showcase of the arts and ongoing arts education. Each October, the event attracts a diverse national audience of over 75,000 attendees, 75+ original art booths, and over 30 local/regional/national live music performances. As a community partner, the Revel employs local non-profits at develop exciting food options that also serve as a fundraiser for the 12 non-profits who participate. During the week, thousands of 4th grade students attend the Revel to participate in an arts educational workshop, create their own art, and experience performances and seminars from the artists themselves. The 46th Annual Red River Revel is scheduled for October 1st – 9th, 2022. For more information, visit https://redriverrevel.com or follow the Revel on Facebook and Instagram at @RedRiverRevel.