Upcoming Americana trio Trousdale pay homage to the great Joni Mitchell, one of their inspirations, on “Always, Joni,” a hypnotic guitar-driven track that nods to several of Mitchell’s most beloved hits.
“We just loved the idea of tying it into this unrequited love we have with all of Joni’s songs that have inspired us,” member Georgia Greene told The Boot. “Our life just felt so emotional already that to be able to tie her influences in with our personal experiences was a fun kind of challenge. When we got to the bridge and decided to throw in all these titles into the lyrics, it just felt magical.”
Here are the hidden references to Mitchell throughout Trousdale’s new single!
‘Cause all I want is a case of you
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
“All I Want” and “A Case of You” both appeared on Mitchell’s 1971 Blue album, which is widely regarded as her magnum opus. On “All I Want,” she describes her pursuit of romance and contentment in life, while “A Case of You” likens a partner to an intoxicating drink. Mitchell released the latter track as a b-side to “California,” a song Trousdale nod to in the next lyric.
The group covered “A Case of You” on TikTok as a teaser for “Always, Joni”:
With a little green California view
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
Trousdale put a lighter spin on the 1971 track “Little Green,” a bittersweet song about a baby Mitchell put up for adoption because she couldn’t take proper care of her. “California” details her world travels while pursuing her musical dreams, before she promises to return to California and settle down.
All you ever played was a circle game
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
Trousdale utilize Mitchell’s 1970 song “The Circle Game” to describe a partner’s misguided actions, while Mitchell’s version was about how life changes as “the carousel of time” goes on. It drew inspiration from Neil Young’s 1968 track “Sugar Mountain,” which Young wrote while reflecting on his teenage years.
You turn me on, I’m a yellow taxi
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
On Mitchell’s 1972 track “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio,” she tries to catch the attention of a picky man while creating a potential radio hit. 1970’s “Big Yellow Taxi” is one of Mitchell’s most well-known songs, describing humans’ affect on the environment and harmful actions like paving “paradise [to] put up a parking lot.”
Night ride home, you know you got me
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
Mitchell wrote “Night Ride Home” after spending the Fourth of July in Hawaii. The song describes the “hula girls and caterpillar tractors in the sand, the ukulele man, [and] the fireworks” she saw during the trip over a mellow, almost melancholic instrumental.
Both sides now in the conversation
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
“Both Sides Now” alludes to the views Mitchell saw during a flight she took in the late 1960s, and a rerecorded version of the song even received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2000. On the acoustic 1970 track “Conversation,” Mitchell comforts a friend, or secret lover, who feels trapped in an unhealthy relationship.
Trousdale covered “Both Sides Now” on TikTok as a teaser for “Always, Joni”:
Come in from the cold, come on home
Trousdale, “Always, Joni”
Mitchell describes her discontent and anxiety in life on 1991’s “Come In From the Cold,” which appeared on her Night Ride Home album and became the only track from the album to get radio play at the time.
You can listen to “Always, Joni” on your favorite streaming services now, and get to know Trousdale on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter!
