What sounds like a light-hearted song is actually a dare to face what you have always been told is wrong or evil
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BOSTON | May 24, 2024 Singer-songwriter Jodi Heights releases her new single “I Took a Swim with Evil” on Friday, May 24, 2024. What sounds like a light-hearted song is actually a dare to face what you have always been told is wrong or evil. Jodi Heights draws from childhood experiences of blind adherence: being warned away from certain people or told not to examine belief systems too closely. Of course, as adults, we realize that what one person calls evil is not necessarily so.
In addition to her new single being released to all major streaming platforms in the traditional method of production, “I Took a Swim with Evil” will be released in Dolby Atmos, a spatial audio technology for immersive sound. Dolby Atmos allows sound engineers to place individual audio elements in a 3D space around the listener, so instead of just hearing sound from the left or right speakers, you can also hear “I Took a Swim with Evil” from above, below, and all around you, creating a more immersive listening experience. “I Took a Swim with Evil” is the second song from Jodi’s night-themed album ‘Nocturne’ and her second recording at Futura Productions, working with engineer John Weston who also produces all of her livestream concerts on Patreon.
Lyrically, “I Took a Swim With Evil” personifies Evil, Darkness, and Regret as nuanced characters who cause us to rethink the way we view the world.
I took a swim with evil out in the moonlit waves
It was an invitation I couldn’t turn away
She wasn’t anything at all like I thought she’d be
Something about her knowing smile appealed to me
Maybe I’ve been mistaken
About my definitions of wrong and right
Out here under the stars
I see more shades of gray than black and white
Jodi elaborates:
“The idea for ‘I Took a Swim with Evil’ came from an unexpected place: an autocorrected text message. A friend had meant to type ‘do you want to swim with me?’, and it changed the last word to ‘evil’ which we thought was hilarious. Then I found myself drawn to it as a writing prompt. Why would evil invite me for a swim, and if I accepted, what would I learn?”
“It’s much easier to dismiss something or someone without really understanding the complexities. But I am a naturally curious person. I want to discover for myself. I want to know why. I want to see from many viewpoints before I decide what I think. That curiosity has led me to some interesting, paradigm-shifting discoveries, and sometimes a complete overhaul of my worldview. I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to examine what you believe.”
In addition to releasing “I Took a Swim with Evil”, Jodi Heights has also crafted and produced a special edition “Nocturnal Journal” spanning 72 pages. This paperback takes journalers from dusk, into the darkest part of night, to dawn. It offers a space for writers to explore their relationship with night through thought-provoking prompts. The book also showcases artwork inspired by Jodi’s album Nocturne and includes a link to listen to the whole album before it’s officially available on streaming. Graphic design for the journal was created by Sylvia Haber.
ABOUT: In the sea of singer-songwriters, Jodi Heights stands out with her classically honed technique and her brilliant lyrics that plumb the depths of everyday life. She holds multiple degrees in music, including a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory. In 2022, Jodi released the singles “White Knight”, “Aurora” (her first original on Celtic harp), and “Fine Wine” (followed by her debut music video). She also released a 3-song EP, Triptych, which focused on urgent concerns in our modern world: climate change (“The Iceberg”, followed by her second music video), the pandemic (“The Storm”), and the growing wealth gap (“The Myth”). Jodi’s debut album, One Year Wiser, was recorded with engineer Mike Davidson at Plaid Dog Recording.
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