American DJ, Jordanian cover band hope to start country music scene in Jordan

AMMAN — At 32, Sari Adel had a problem: the Jordanian music producer had grown tired of the heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll he had grown up with. To him, that music had either morphed into something mediocre, or now unrelatable, so he set out to find “something else”. Something that both entertained his ear and proved lyrically empathetic.

By chance, the music producer stumbled upon a track by John Mayer called “Queen of California”. He was never a John Mayer fan he added.

“But, I saw the song and it did something in my head that I liked a lot, so I started looking up the things that made him do this, and he did this shift because he was listening to Neil Young and Bob Dylan.” Adel said: “So, it started by me listening to what Mayer’s influences were to make that specific record.”

His musical curiosity eventually led him to contemporary Americana, folk and finally “full-blown country”. Around the same time, Adel said there was a band coming into his studio to record songs. After each recording, Adel would play a song or two. The band liked what they heard, they found a drummer, and Pinewood Rift was born. 

“It [reception] has been mostly positive, but in different ways. It’s amusing actually because the first thing people start noticing, or the first thing they comment on is ‘oh this is what you mean by country music? We didn’t know country music was that.’” Adel said: “The second thing is, ‘you sound authentic’ everyone that watches the show gives us that comment: ‘We feel like we were listening to a band from Nashville.’”

Apart from being the only country music cover band in Jordan to Adel’s knowledge, what sets Pinewood Rift apart are the artists they cover. Bands like Jason Isbell or The Marshall Tucker Band are rarely seen on country top 40 charts. 

The rejection of “pop-country” and an embrace of lesser known artists who often offer more lyrically is a welcome trend says Max Nichols, (or DJ Doyle as some may know him, a name which pays homage to his great uncle, whom ran one of the last cattle ranges on the California-Nevada border town of Doyle). Nichols hosts a radio show on Bliss 104.3 every Saturday evening called “Big Country”.

He says he tries to diversify the show’s playlist and give people a couple of options they may not have known about before, especially when it comes to playing female country singers. 

“It’s a fine line, because my heart kind of lies in alternative country, meaning people like Jason Isbell, or these other artists who are less talking about trucks and chicks and beer and stuff like that, but people who talk a bit more intelligently about some other topics,” Nichols said, adding: “It’s about finding that combination of not beating people over the head with this isn’t pop country, [which can be really accessible], but at the same time not just throwing on a top 40 playlist and calling it a day”.

He has come a long way from sleeping in the back of his brother’s truck in Bakersfield, California after a Sturgill Simpson concert, and waking up the next day to drive seven hours to catch Simpson again in Oakland he said. 

But, Nichols is excited about the prospect of expanding country music in Jordan. And what that could mean for the live music scene, especially after wondering into a pub one night to find Pinewood Rift covering a favored song.

“The live music scene [in Amman] is dominated by clubs and places where people drink and talk. So, when you see them actually paying attention to what you’re saying and hear what you’re talking about, whether it be your song or the story your telling when you introduce a song, it makes us feel good, because we’re actually getting through to people,” said Adel.

Country music also dovetails well into what music is traditionally about in this part of the world added Nichols. The diasporic stories about loss or days gone by really seem to resonate, all of which are prominent themes in bluegrass and other subgenres of country.

Musically, Adel pointed out that country artists tweak their sounds to play off cord resulting in “authentic” or rustic sounding songs, which are similar to sounds played by bedouin musicians. 

“We have this idea that we want to start this country music scene, and with that we want to start doing a lot more events and stuff like that. So, [we have to] take it off just the radio waves, because I only have two hours a week to speak to people on the radio,” said Nichols.

Both Nichols and Adel said they were excited about the possibilities of building up not only the genre, but the way some people listen to live music in Jordan, particularly, younger adults.

“Most other bands focus on what’s in demand so that they can be frequent at venues. In our case it’s different, we play what we think is good music and people are riding along. It’s the other way around.” Adel said, “It’s the kind of music that deals with everything and anything; and nothing. Music about divorce, having a first child, losing a friend or living in a different city, things you can relate to as an adult.”