Blue Light

In their song "Anywhere", Blue Light's Jamie Mefford reaches out from within a lush orchestral landscape and, in a gruff whisper, asks, "is there any place any better?" For Blue Light, a trio composed of Jess and Jamie Mefford along with multi-instrumentalist Jack Leahy, there may not be when it comes to the right setting for musical passion, collaboration, and inspired artistry.

The formation of the ensemble stretches its roots deep into its very personal, cordial, and talented members, each with a story of musical inspiration, polarized from end to end with a plethora of influences. All three members shared upbringings that scattered them across the nation, New York, Minnesota, Missouri, and even Belgium in Jamie's case – but whose journey as music-driven souls brought them ultimately to Colorado. It is, in more than one way, a story of love.

Blue Light's first seed was planted with Jamie and Jess' meeting during Jess' vocal tryout for the Boulder-based band Drift, one of the ensembles in which Jamie, a guitarist, vocalist, and skilled audio engineer, had been previously involved. Though Drift would ultimately fade in the next few years, Jamie and Jess' relationship blossomed as they pursued their muses, meeting legions of fellow seekers on the same road, including Jack Leahy. In time, Jack was asked to join the couple as Blue Light began its formulation. Though each member still plays with a plethora of different musicians in numerous groups, Blue Light has begun to take the center focus of each. Indeed, in the way that so many professional collaborations come into being, Blue Light arrived nearly six months ago as an experiment - a casual affair - but in time became something dedicated, something dependant and therefore, delightfully meaningful.

Any member of the band could share an exegesis of their musical influences and how they intricately mold into Blue Light: Jamie tying his fascinations of U2, Radiohead, and Electronica/Trance into his devoted, free-form style alternative/folk rock – Jess reminiscing of her days wishing to be a back-up singer for Pink Floyd's David Gilmour whilst singing torch-like ballads with a soul-filled, almost ecclesiastical reverence – and Jack, whose mastery of a plethora of steel-based instruments has led him to adopt a stylistic spectrum of mighty proportions, from the lyrical pacing of early jazz great Lester Young, to the Raga music of northern India, and even back to the harmonic integrity of early Western chant and instrumentalism. For each of them, every piece of their experience constantly contributes and challenges the players to the realization of their art form, regardless of which styles reach the obvious surface of their musicality.

As it works now, Blue Light continues to nurture their musical foundation as they feature an amorphous style of indie-rock and alternative country music, cycling through fertile, heartfelt overtures. They admit that they're still working on making some final additions to the band, such as locking down just-the-right kind of percussionist, and doing their best to find recording time. However, that's the beauty of Blue Light's musical spur, and the duality of their still newly birthed creative freedom, which is truly their most victorious of muses. In times of so much dominant mediocrity, it's comforting and reassuring to know that the art is still out there – that regular men and women are working in search of their ardor instead of adhering by some false elitism. They're putting the steel to their dreams and giving them form; using new colors in an old style. Indubitably, it's the multifaceted frames that Jess, Jamie, and Jack have painted their pictures in that have gifted us a fresh, melodious breath here in Denver.

Breathe deep. - Colorado Music Buzz Magazine

In recent months, this trio has gained attention in Denver's singer-songwriter community for its sincere songwriting, unique vocal styles and the groovy 70s California feel that permeates many of the group's songs.

Last night, Jamie Mefford sang with his usual throatiness, giving even some of his simpler lyrics an air of sincerity and gravity. Mefford's sense of humor about the sparsely attended gig was charming. When photographer Brian Carney placed a large, homemade light board with the band's name on the stage, the frontman quipped, "We have the best light show in the Denver folk scene. You can put that in print." Done.

Jess Mefford's eerie-yet-arresting voice echoes an amalgam of influences while never sounding derivative. It will be positively dangerous once the captivating singer arrives at the voice that is truly hers. Until then, her spirited, guileless singing, stomping and smiling are more than enough to hold the audience's attention – even when that audience is as small as it was last night.

Jack Leahy nearly stole the show with his haunting, lilting lap steel and electric guitar work. At several points during the band's set, Leahy's instruments almost became a third voice, complementing both of the Meffords' voices with their plaintive, resonant strings.

For the few folks left at the end of the evening, Blue Light's set was a warm snifter on a cold, snowy night. It will be a pleasure to watch as this group hones its lyrics (fewer clichés will give them even more power) and finds its unique voice in a scene crowded with talent. – Eryc Eyl

- Westword

Denver Post Review 3.10.09
Category: Music
It’s rare that the music from Sputnik, the Hi-Dive’s neighbor, overpowers the venue’s live bands, but that’s what happened Tuesday night as Portland’s Laura Gibson charmed a small but earnest crowd. The lineup also featured Denver’s Blue Light and Rachael Pollard in an intensely intimate show.
Blue Light, Jamie Mefford’s beautiful acoustic singer/songwriter
vehicle, played first. He was joined by Jack Leahy (electric guitar and
lap steel), and for a few songs by Jess Mefford on backing vocals. Blue
Light plays a melancholy country music that forces a conjuring of tunes
that wake you in the middle of the night, cold, but not in a panting
sweat, rather in a soft, vivid daze that forces you to realize you’re
awake, unrequited, and lonely.
Their cover of Oasis’s “Wonder Wall” came across much better than
the original, as Jess’s simultaneously ethereal and gutsy backing
vocals were grounded by Jamie’s gravelly near-whisper, and backed
beautifully by Leahy’s delay-thick guitar and tremolo arm mastery. The
highlight was “Hold On Now,” a duet that endeared the audience, as
Jamie and Jess tripped over each other’s parts, showing a time in which
the song had been shelved.
- Denver Post