Jenny Lewis

“This is the most honest that I’ve gotten. This is as close [as I’ve come] to who I think I am,” says Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis of her first solo album, pausing for a pensive moment. “That’s true right now, anyway,” she laughs. “I might change a few years down the road.”

Though elements of country, soul and gospel have poked through the seams of Lewis’ Rilo Kiley songs since she and guitarist Blake Sennett formed the band in 1998, the homespun intimacy of the stripped-down Rabbit Fur Coat might surprise those who only know her as the photogenic frontwoman of the band that opened for Coldplay. But to call it a departure seems inaccurate, as Lewis contends this album’s roots are buried deep inside her musical DNA, ingrained in the formative musical experiences of her childhood.

“I think there were a couple records that maybe because of the time in my life when I heard them for the first time, they still resonate with me, because I think of happy times growing up,” she says, explaining the inspiration for the warm, organic tones of her new record. “Laura Nyro [and] LaBelle’s Gonna Take a Miracle record was played a lot in the house growing up, and I was always fascinated with the backup vocals … And then, more recently, New Morning by Bob Dylan is one of my favorite records. Obviously, he’s awesome, but I love that one sound, as opposed to all of his other records.”