Jim James Recorded Vocals in an Empty Grain Silo For My Morning Jacket’s ‘At Dawn’

Before there was Fleet Foxes and Tame Impala, there was My Morning Jacket. Jim James vocal approach with heavy reverb was a signature at the time, delivering personal and sentimental tracks. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Jim James blended influences of Bob Dylan, Elvis, Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, and others into his own indie rock sound. Their debut release in 1999, The Tennessee Fire, was surprisingly a hit in the Netherlands. Though it didn’t gain traction in the US, the Netherlands and Belgium were drawn to the release. This was due to a Dutch DJ who played the debut release on heavy rotation. A Dutch documentary called This is NOT America was filmed. It captured the contrast between their empty hometown shows and the sold-out shows in Holland.

For their second release, At Dawn, Jim James sought to broaden his reverb-heavy signature sound. For this, they recorded his vocals in an abandoned, empty grain silo in rural Kentucky. The result was beautiful, capturing unique and natural reverb. The soybean farm used for recording was owned by Jim James’ extended family. At the farm, the band converted a large three-car garage into a recording studio. The band recorded the album themselves in the converted studio. A standout track from At Dawn is “Lowdown,” blending 60’s pop rock with the band’s signature reverb sound. No other band sounded quite like My Morning Jacket at the time, but we’ve seen many since.

‘At Dawn’ Received Praise and Set The Band Up For Success

Released on April 6, 2001, At Dawn was praised by critics and musicians alike. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters praised the release and brought the band along on tour, helping popularize the group. The album was released early for their Netherlands fanbase, though the band finally achieved success in the US. Ahead of the album, the band released “The Way That He Sings” online. The track is about Jim James’ love of Roy Orbison and Neil Young, and how their vocal approaches inspired him.

Many of the songs from At Dawn remain in the band’s setlists to this day, despite lineup changes throughout the years. My Morning Jacket built on the success of At Dawn, with It Still Moves in 2003. It Still Moves propelled the band into stardom and found them co-headlining festivals across the US for years to come. To this day, My Morning Jacket is among the most successful indie rock bands of the 21st century.

Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns