Story Behind the Song: Jade Bird, ‘Lottery’

British singer-songwriter Jade Bird has been making a name for herself with a string of stateside tour dates since the release of her debut EP, 2017's Something American. The singer showcased her range with the release of her powerhouse single "Lottery," which she's performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Bird didn't set out to make "American music," per se, but it was her love of artists such as the Civil Wars and Chris Stapleton that set her down the path towards country and Americana. While her EP is evidence enough that Bird has range as a singer and performer, her songwriting focuses on authenticity and the kind of storytelling prowess that she learned from her favorite acts. One such example is "Lottery," which includes elements taken directly from real-life events; read on to learn more about how the song came to be written.

I wrote this song while I was recording [Something American], almost in the space between finishing that and starting to record for the new album. It came out of a conversation -- well, the words to the title came out of a conversation, and what really inspired the concept were those words.

I had this grand image in my head: I loved the word, and I tried to make the verses super-personal. One of them was based on a cafe in London where me and my ex sat down and actually had that exact same conversation as in the song. That's how it came about.